A New Dark Lord?
by sollardragon
Summary: After Hogwarts, Harry has become an Auror. He is attacked and is found by none other than Draco Malfoy. When questioned, Harry can't remember what happened… or anything else for that matter. Where are his children? Why is Ginny so mad at him?
1. Chapters 1 to 3

A New Dark Lord?

A/N: To those who've read most of this story already, I apologize, but this site won't let me post more than 15 chapters. This will be my last story on this site. If you like my stories, please find me on hpfandom or hexfiles under the same penname. Also, this story is followed by a Snape and Miranda fict, for those of you who like the characters.

**Chapter 1 – Attacked**

Draco looked up as he felt the disturbance in the wards around his property and frowned in irritation. Someone very powerful… and not very subtle. He walked out of the study, heading for the front door, snapping his fingers as he went.

"Yes, Master Malfoy?" squeaked the house-elf that appeared beside him, walking quickly to keep up with Draco. Tammy, if Draco remembered correctly. They all looked alike to him.

"Yes, Tammy. Bring me my broom and cloak," he ordered.

Tammy squeaked again and vanished.

He was confident that the broom and cloak would be waiting for him when he reached the front door and kept walking. Right now, he needed to find out who was on his property and deal with them before his daughter came back.

It was a good thing Rebecca was away visiting Theodore's children or she'd insist on investigating this disturbance, Draco thought briefly.

Whoever it was wasn't very bright. Perhaps this was a trap? After six years, he'd have thought people would've given up on the 'Death Eater' thing. Draco felt his lips curl back at that thought.

At least they didn't attack his shop… at least not since his Pansy's death. That had been the last open attack on the Malfoys. Rebecca had been three. Pansy had taken her out shopping when three people had broken through the bodyguards and attempted to kill them both. Of course, no charges had been laid on them; in fact, they seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Pansy had died protecting Rebecca, though even that had been a narrow escape. As it was, Rebecca had spent two months in St. Mungo's while she recovered from her injuries. That had been hard on Draco: caring for an injured child and burying a wife at the same time, but he'd done it. He'd had no choice.

Then he'd spent nearly a year with Rebecca waking him up with nightmares.

He smiled when he neared the door and Tammy was waiting there with the broom and cloak. Opening the door, he took both from the house-elf and kicked off the ground, following his wards to where they'd been breached.

Fifteen minutes, he touched down in front of a decrepit house on the edge of his property. He'd forgotten about this house. He'd thought it would have been gone by now. Everything was quiet and he couldn't see anything or anyone from out here.

Draco frowned as he looked at the house in distaste.

Carefully, he walked closer, wand in hand and ready for anyone jumping out at him. Nothing happened when he opened the door, but he wasn't reckless enough to let his guard down until he knew for sure there was no danger.

He made it through the door and walked over to the stairs before he realized there _was_ a sound. Like cloth on wood. Frowning, he cocked his head and listened, trying to determine which direction the noise was coming from.

Cocking his head to one side, he realized that it seemed to be coming from the room to his left. Turning in that direction, he walked cautiously into the room. He only moved a few paces when he noticed something large moving on the opposite side of the room.

Frowning, Draco pointed his wand in the direction of the movement. "Lumos," he murmured and felt his eyes open wide at the sight before him. There, lying against the wall, was a bloody man, who was trying to crawl his way around the room.

Draco gave the room a quick scan but saw no one else, so he quickly moved over to the man, wondering who it could be and why he was there. When he got closer, his eyes narrowed as something tugged at his memory. He should know who this was, but he couldn't place what was familiar about him.

Then the man turned and his eyes focused on him before they closed, and Draco suddenly knew why this man was familiar.

_Harry Potter_.

The name echoed in his head and his mind spun as he tried to make sense of this. He reached out to touch his shoulder, almost afraid to touch him.

Pain.

It seemed that was all he was.

There was no body. No thoughts.

Just pain.

Suddenly there was a hand touching him, which seemed to bring him back, focusing him into his body.

Slowly, he became aware that he lay on a floor. Forcing his eyes open showed him it was wooden.

He frowned, trying to remember where he was, why he was in pain, but nothing would focus in his head. He became aware of a face coming into his line of sight. The silver hair… the grey eyes… he knew this person… but the name wouldn't come to him.

Not a friend, but not exactly an enemy, either.

He blinked slowly as he realized the other was frowning down at him. Then the stranger opened his mouth and said something, but he didn't seem to hear it. He frowned and concentrated on the sound.

"-we need to get you some help," he heard at last and winced as he realized it hurt his ears. The stranger made to rise and he felt panic seize hold of him, making his heart pound.

"No," he gasped and grabbed hold of the stranger's arm to prevent him from getting up. "They'll find me! You can't tell anyone!" With that, he collapsed on the floor, his strength spent, gasping in pain.

The stranger looked down at him in surprise. "Who did this to you, Harry?"

Harry? Was that his name? He couldn't remember… it must be if this man knew him. As for who had done this to him..? He frowned as he tried to make his mind work.

The world began to fade again and he didn't try to fight it this time. There was something important… something he needed to do… but he couldn't move and he didn't know what it was anymore. He heard the stranger call his name, and tried to respond, but his body wouldn't listen to him and he decided it was too much effort right now.

He just needed to rest for a little bit…

"Harry!"

Draco wanted to shake the man to wake him, but didn't know if he should. He needed to get help for Harry, but what if Harry was right and whoever had done this to him found him? With a shake of his head, Draco wrapped Harry in his cloak and went to find his broom. As he rose to his feet, he noticed Harry's wand. He was surprised that he hadn't noticed it earlier.

Picking it up, he put it in his pocket. He'd give it back to Harry when he was feeling more himself.

Right now, he needed to get Harry somewhere warm and safe… in case someone followed Harry's signature here.

Narrowing his eyes, he strengthened his wards, hiding Harry's signature as he repaired the breach, before he returned to Harry's side. Propping the other man up in front of him, he managed to push off the ground and flew out of the house, heading towards the manor.

As he neared the manor, he wondered who he could contact to help him with Harry… and Rebecca would be home soon. He managed to land without losing Harry by holding him close when he touched ground.

Withdrawing his wand, he cast a levitation charm and floated Harry into the house, ignoring Tammy's scowl of disapproval as he handed her his broom. He took the other man upstairs and down the hall, placing him in a room not far from his own, in case he needed to get to Harry fast.

Once Draco had settled him on the bed, he snapped his fingers. Another house-elf appeared beside him. "Watch him. If he wakes up before I come back, come get me," he ordered before he left the room, heading for his own room.

"Yes, Master," the creature said, bowing low.

With a deft flick of his fingers, he undid his cloak and threw it on a nearby chair. He sat down at his desk and penned a quick note. "Alban," he called out. His personal house-elf usually wasn't far away, and sure enough, Alban appeared right away.

"Yes, Master?" he asked, bowing respectfully.

"I need you to deliver this note to Severus Snape as quickly as possible and wait for an answer," Draco ordered as he folded the piece of paper and handed it to Alban.

"Yes, Master." And he was gone before Draco strode from his room, heading for Harry's. Once there, he was about to ask the house-elf to get him a cloth and water, but it was already waiting for him in the room.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Draco used his wand to magic Harry's robes off, leaving him with a shirt and pants. Taking the cloth and bowl, he proceeded to wash the blood off Harry's face, trying to determine just how much damage there was.

"Why is it that you seem to attract all this bad luck, Harry," he murmured softly as the cloth revealed several cuts and burns on his face.

"Probably because he can't stop trying to play the hero," he heard behind him. Whipping around, he was surprised to see Severus standing at the door with Alban. He hadn't thought the old Potions master would come so quickly. "How long has he been like this?" the older man asked as he walked closer to the bed.

"I found him about twenty minutes ago when he broke through my wards. He was awake for a few minutes when I found him, but then passed out. It took me fifteen to bring him here and a couple of minutes to get you and come back here to clean the blood away." Draco turned back towards Harry, washing more blood off.

"And why didn't you take him to St. Mungo's?" Severus asked, an eyebrow raised indifferently as he looked down at the Savior of the Wizarding World.

"He said they'd find out where he was, that they'd kill him, but he didn't say who 'they' were. I figured if I couldn't take him there, you would be the next best thing." He frowned when Severus snorted at the observation.

"Trust Mr. Potter to be as vague as possible on something as important as who attacked him," the older man muttered.

"Are you going to help, or just stand there and make snide comments?" Draco snapped in irritation, looking back.

Snape's eyebrows rose at the tone. "I suppose I might as well _look_ at him while I'm here." Pulling his wand out, he cast a couple spells, frowning at what they revealed.

"Well?" Draco asked when Snape didn't say anything for a few moments.

Snape shook his head, his frown deepening slightly. "It's hard to say. There's a lot of trauma, but nothing to reveal what they used. We'll have to wait until he wakes to find out just what happened to him and who did it."

**Chapter 2 - I'm Who?**

Harry swam out of the darkness to the memory of pain and frowned in confusion. Where was he? What had happened? Opening his eyes slowly, he frowned as he saw the richness of the room. Was this _his_ room..?

That was when he realized that he couldn't remember _any_thing… except for blond hair and grey eyes.

"I see you're awake."

Harry's head whipped around to find the source of the voice.

"It's about time. I was beginning to think you were trying to avoid us."

In the doorway stood a man with blond hair and grey eyes…

The stranger walked into the room and motioned to a strange creature Harry had missed earlier. "Tell Severus that Potter is awake."

Harry's eyes widened as the creature bowed and vanished. Clearing his throat, Harry turned his attention back to the stranger. "I'm sorry, but… who are you? And what was that thing?"

The stranger frowned at him and sat down in the chair beside the bed. "Honestly, Potter, this isn't the time to joke."

"I'm not joking," Harry told him as he slowly pulled himself up so he was sitting on the bed, reclining against the pillows with a sigh when his back protested and he wondered what had happened to him.

The blond's eyes sharpened before another stranger walked in. The greasy black hair and hard black eyes reminded Harry of someone…

One second the memory was there, the next it was gone.

He tried to bring it back, but all he got after a few minutes of fruitless concentration was a headache. All the while the two strangers watched him.

"Potter here says he doesn't know who I am," the blond said, looking at the man in the doorway.

Harry watched as an eyebrow rose and he stared back at him, face expressionless. "Really? And you actually expect us to believe that?" the older man asked in a tone that grated along Harry's nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

Harry frowned in irritation. "If I knew who you were, do you think I'd waste my time saying otherwise?" he asked angrily, glaring back at the older man. How _dare_ he question what Harry knew to be true? He didn't know what was in Harry's head. Who was he, anyway?

"Potter, control yourself," the blond said sharply. Only then did Harry notice that things around the room were shaking.

"Who's doing that?" he asked in surprise.

"You are, you stupid fool," the dark-haired man snapped angrily. "Control your emotions."

Harry blinked at him for a few seconds before he closed his eyes and concentrated on controlling his emotions. Breathing slowly, he managed to calm himself, feeling… something… slowly settle down in him. He felt slightly light-headed when he opened his eyes. "What's going on? Who are you? Where am I? And what the _hell_ happened to me?"

The two strangers exchanged looks before the dark-haired man moved closer. "Let me try something," he murmured and pulled out an object from his pocket, pointing it at Harry.

Harry's eyes went wide and vague as he stiffened as… something … a memory flashed in front of his eyes...

_This man standing in a dungeon like room, casting a spell with a wand pointed at him, making his head feel like it was being split in half as he tried to do something… several times over a long period of time…_

And that seemed to trigger other scenes…

_A dark haired man with tattoos, hugging him tightly, while a thin, sandy haired man stood behind him…_

_A younger Harry standing in front of a mirror that reflected back two adults, one on each side of him…_

When he became aware of his surroundings again, he was panting hard while the two strangers watched him. The dark-haired man was frowning and the blond looked surprised and concerned, sitting on the edge of his seat.

"Potter? Are you okay?" the blond asked, concern lacing his words.

"I think so," Harry murmured, wiping his forehead with a trembling hand. "Why can't I remember anything?"

"I'm not quite sure," the dark haired man murmured, eyes narrowing in thought, playing with the object Harry's mind was now labeling as a wand. "What did you see?"

"You, holding that… wand pointed at me, then two men, one with black hair and tattoos and a sandy-haired man who was extremely thin, then a strange kind of mirror that showed two people standing beside a younger me. What does it mean?"

"It means that certain things will trigger your memory and that, in time, you should regain _all_ your memories," the dark-haired man told him as he put his wand way.

Just then, an owl swooped in through the open window and settled at the foot of the bed carrying a newspaper.

Draco rose and collected it, putting some money in the pouch around the bird's neck. Its errand done, it flew out of the window. Draco unrolled the paper and cursed fluently. "As if we didn't have enough to deal with right now," he muttered, laying the paper on the bed so the others could read it as well.

On the front page was a picture of Harry with a young woman, which had been torn down the center, dividing the smiling couple. The headline was written in huge letters, assuring that anyone looking at the paper could see it easily.

_"Saviour to Divorce School Sweetheart!"_

"Who's the girl?" Harry asked, frowning at the picture. It stirred something in his memory, but nothing that would stay still long enough for him to register. He felt like he should know her, that there was something he was missing… something important.

"That? That's Ginny. And if this article is right, she's going to be your soon-to-be ex-wife," Draco told him, watching him carefully. "Do you remember her?"

Harry looked at the picture again, but nothing would focus. "No, nothing," he said, shaking his head in frustration.

"It says here that you have three children together. Are they with her?" Snape asked as he finished reading the article.

"Children?" he asked in surprise, his eyes un-focusing as a memory flitted to the surface. He saw a woman with dirty-blond hair that fell in a long plait down her back. She looked like she loved to laugh and was roughly his own age. Behind her was a strange creature… then it was gone, leaving him gasping and shaking.

Resting his head back on the pillow, he cracked his eyes opened and saw the look the blond and the dark-haired man exchanged.

"What did you see, Harry?" the blond asked, frowning.

"A woman and before you ask, no, I don't know her, or why I'd see her either," Harry told them tiredly.

The older man frowned in thought. "You saw her after we mentioned children, so she must be important in some way. Perhaps more will be revealed later. Come, Draco. Potter needs his rest." With that, he turned and walked out, robes billowing out behind him.

The blond rose to follow. "Draco?" Harry asked a little hesitantly.

"Hm?" Draco looked down at him with an eyebrow raised in question.

"Who is he and why do I have this intense dislike for him?" He watched a look of comprehension and wariness cross the other's face before it was gone.

"His name is Severus Snape and he used to be our Potions teacher when we were in school. He still teaches," Draco murmured, putting his hands in his pockets. "As for your dislike of him… I think maybe you should ask him yourself later. I'll have one of the house-elves bring you something to eat. In the meantime, I'll see if I can get you a lawyer for the divorce."

With a slight bow of his head, Draco left the room, closing the door behind him.

Harry frowned down at the paper that showed him and a red-haired woman. They looked so in love… but if they were, why the divorce? And what was this about children?

Picking up the paper, he began to read.

**Chapter 3 - The Dream**

_A baby's wail flowed around him, echoing eerily back and forth._

_"Daddy! Don't leave us here!"_

Harry jerked awake, the cries following him.

"Potter? Are you alright?" Draco asked from above him, a hand on his shoulder.

"What?" Harry asked, turning his head around to look back, he blinked blearily to focus his eyes on the blond.

"It sounded like you were having a bad dream."

Harry frowned, trying to remember his dream, but it was already beginning to fade in his mind. He shook his head and rolled over onto his back. "What time is it?"

"A little after one o'clock. Tammy said you didn't eat your lunch, so I thought I'd come and check on you," Draco told him as he sat down in the chair.

"I'm not really hungry," Harry murmured, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"If you don't eat, you won't be able to keep you appointment with your lawyer in two days," Draco murmured casually, looking at his nails, though he was secretly watching Harry.

Harry looked at him in surprise. "Lawyer?" he asked, frowning. "Oh, yes, my divorce. How are we going to do that? Since I don't remember Ginny or my kids?"

"That's why we have to talk to the lawyer. To see what your options are," Draco told him, looking pointedly at the tray. With a sigh, Harry reached over and picked up the tray. "Tomorrow, we'll see just how well your wounds have healed and we can walk around the manor. You'll need your strength to fight your wife in court."

"Even if I don't remember her?" Harry said with a frown as he ate some of the food, only now realizing just how hungry he was.

"Even if you don't remember her. Did you remember anything at all?"

Harry tilted his head slightly as he ran through the memories he did have, but there was nothing new there, though he felt like he was missing something… something important. With a frustrated sigh, he shook his head. "Nothing. This could be slightly problematic, especially if they ask me to clarify things that I don't know."

"That's true, but we'll deal with the problems as they arise, otherwise we'll just exhaust ourselves needlessly." Draco turned his attention to the window while Harry ate, so the other man wouldn't feel watched, but his thoughts were still on the problem of how to help Harry with his divorce.

When Harry was done, he put the fork down with a sigh of contentment. "So, why can't I get up today?" he asked curiously.

"Because, Mr. Potter," Snape drawled from the doorway. "If you get up too soon, you'll undo all the healing I've done since Draco found you. We'll err on the side of caution for now, so I don't have to do the job twice."

"Are you a Healer, sir?" Harry asked in surprise.

Snape's eyebrow rose at that statement. "No, I'm not, but as a Potions master, I have some knowledge of certain potions and spells that Healers use. _Perhaps this whelp doesn't know who I am and how much he hates me… this could be used to my advantage…_

"Is that what you teach at the school?" Harry asked, wondering just what his history with this man could be. So far he'd been rude, yes, but that seemed to be the way he was with everyone, even Draco, though the blond didn't seem to mind it all that much. "Potions?"

"Yes."

"Was I any good at Potions?" Harry asked as a thought occurred to him. Perhaps that was why Snape didn't like him?

"Not really, although you did manage to pass it with marks sufficient to get the career you wanted."

"Which was?"

"An Auror. It also seems you were quite good at it," Snape drawled, losing interest in the discussion. "Draco, we need to talk," he told the blond before turning away and walking out of the room.

"Try to get some more rest," Draco murmured as he rose to his feet.

Harry watched him follow the old professor, frowning in thought. _Just what_ is _an Auror?_ he wondered.

"What is it, Severus?" Draco asked as he followed the old professor into the living room.

"I've just found out some interesting news from some old contacts. It seems that someone's snooping around, looking for Potter, discreetly of course."

"His wife?" Draco asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise. He hadn't thought that they would be looking for him this soon.

"No, this is a group of men… three or four of them. Some of them are pretending to be some old friends, but the feeling my contacts had was that they weren't looking for him for old time's sake. Potter may not be safe here for much longer. It helps right now that he's stuck here at the manor, but once the divorce proceedings begin, that'll change. We may need a different place to store him until the enemies can be identified."

"No," Draco murmured, frowning in thought. "I think we should keep him here. If they know he's here, they might tip their hand and show us who is at the heart of this fight. We might also find out why this is happening. Something tells me that Harry is at the center, but I'm not quite sure of why, yet. We need more information than we have. What were they asking about, specifically?"

"Some were asking if they'd seen him, if there was anything different about him… things that wouldn't draw attention otherwise. What are you thinking of, Draco?"

"I think we need to prepare a trap for those who might show up looking for Potter. Because when we start this divorce, they're going to know where he is and come after him."

_Pain filled his body as he lay on the floor, writhing as someone spoke to him, though he couldn't make sense of what was being said. What looked like sand or a fine powder was all around him, obscuring the black marble floor…._

_Green flashes whizzed by his head as he ran with the crowd, screams of pain and panic flowing around him as he followed them, wondering what was happening… until he tripped and someone knocked him in the head with their foot as they rushed by him…_

_Another green flash struck him in the chest and he was thrown a few feet away, dead…_

_"Where is he, Harry? We need him if we're going to do this right," a masked woman asked as she walked closer to where he was tied and kneeling, panting hard from the fight to get away. Her hood hid her identity, her voice a little distorted so he wouldn't know who she was._

_"Why do you want him? He's only a child. I hardly think he could do much for you."_

_"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Harry. He's going to be our future. Where you once destroyed one, another will replace him. Now… all you have to do is tell me where you put him," she purred as she ran a hand down the side of his face, ignoring the split lip and the bruised chin. Her sleeve rolled back slightly, revealing the head of Voldemort's old mark._

_Harry laughed in her face. "You won't find him. Even_ I _don't know where he is. She'll keep them out of your hands forever, if it goes that far. So do what you want to me, I won't tell you were they are. My children will be safe from you."_

_She backed away from him with a snarl of anger and took out her wand, pointing it at him. "Crucio!"_

A scream ripped through the air. Draco and Snape looked at each other in surprise before they tore out of the living room and raced up the stairs, heading towards Harry's room. Just as they reached the door, the manor shuddered slightly and they felt a wave of power ripple from the room before the manor shuddered again.

They hurried into the room and stopped as they watched Harry thrash on the bed as if he were being attacked. His eyes were wide opened, but unseeing. There were gashes on the skin they could see and as they watched another opened just under his collarbone. He screamed again and they felt another wave of power ripple from Harry before the manor shuddered.

"He's caught in a dream loop. This must be what they did to him. We have to wake him up," Snape told Draco before he pulled his wand out, pointing it at Harry. "_Vas Aqua Respergo**[1]**_," he murmured softly.

Draco watched as water splashed Harry in the face, shocking him out of whatever dream he was having.

Harry gasped at the suddenness of waking up and registered the pain of the cuts on his chest and arms. Already, the dream was beginning to fade.

"What were you dreaming about, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked as he moved closer to the bed, silently casting the spell to dry both Harry and the bed.

Harry frowned as he tried to recall what he'd seen. "A woman was asking me where someone was. When I told her I didn't know, she got angry. Is that what happened to me?"

Snape noticed that Harry's eyes weren't really focused on the room, and he frowned as he looked down at the damage that the dream had inflicted on the newly healed skin. "Draco, help me lift him up. I need to see something."

Draco nodded and helped the old Potions master sit Harry up. Snape cursed as he saw blood seeping into Harry's shirt and pulled it away from the skin before it could dry on the new wounds. He ignored Harry's gasp of pain as he pulled the shirt off him and threw it on the floor. "Alban!" Draco called before Snape could say anything.

"Master?" the house-elf squeaked as he popped in.

"Get some bandages and some water," he ordered as he held Harry's weight while Snape moved slightly to get a better look at the damage.

"Yes, Master." With that the house-elf was gone.

"Well, at least the damage isn't as bad as it was when you found him. This will heal quickly. He should still be able to get up and walk around tomorrow," Snape murmured as he took the bowl of water and bandages the house-elf returned with.

"Get me the healing salve that's in my room, please," he asked Alban as he wet the towel and began cleaning the wounds. "They're not as deep as the last time, at least."

The house-elf returned with the salve and waited to see if he was needed any further.

"Who do you think she wanted?" Draco asked Snape, looking back to see that Harry's eyes were closed once more, his head resting slightly on the his shoulder.

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Snape murmured as he slowly applied the salve before putting the bandages on the cuts. He had a suspicion, but he didn't want to share it quite yet. He wanted to see if his hunch was right.

* * *

><p>[1] Vas Aqua Respergo = splash a glass of water<p> 


	2. Chapters 4 to 6

Beta'd by Bubba and Lady Katye

**Chapter 4 – The Lawyer**

Harry and Draco sat across from a goblin that was looking at them with very penetrating eyes. "Are you sure you want to go down this path, Mr. Potter?" he asked, switching his gaze to Harry.

Harry returned his gaze without flinching. "Yes, but I want to know what my legal options are considering my amnesia."

"Yes, that will make things difficult. What are your terms for your wife?"

Draco and he had already spoken of this before they'd even left the manor. "I want the keys to my vault – for the Potter vault and the Black vault. I want Ginny taken out of my will as next of kin. She can keep the house she's in, but the rest of them are mine. I also want the children with me. I'm willing to give her enough money to pay for her basic expenses for the year, but nothing more."

The goblin's eyebrow rose at the precise demands Harry was asking for. "Anything else?"

"I want to stop her ability to sell any of my properties, as well." Harry watched the goblin carefully. Draco had assured him that this goblin was the best at divorce law. As for the rest, he would see it was done for Harry. "I'd also like to see my children. Could you set something up?"

"It will take some time to get everything ready, you understand?" the goblin asked after a few moments of watching Harry.

"I'm sure you'll be efficient," Harry murmured, nodding respectfully.

"I will get back to you as soon as I have results. You'll be staying at Malfoy Manor?"

"Until I get some things settled, Mr. Malfoy has agreed to help me for the next couple of weeks. When I change address, I'll let you know so you can still get a hold of me," Harry told him as they got up to leave. "Thank you, Mr. Westrum."

As they left the office, Harry heaved a sigh of relief that he'd completed the interview without any trouble, and he was glad he'd told the lawyer about the amnesia, in case it became an issue.

"That's one thing down, now we have to go to Diagon Alley and get those ingredients Snape wanted," Draco murmured as he walked beside Harry.

"Did he even tell you what he's going to do with them?" Harry asked, curious as to what the old Potions master was up to. He was being very tight lipped about it, that was for sure.

"Not yet, but I'm sure he'll tell us when he's ready. Come on." He led Harry out of the building. As they walked down the street, someone ran into Harry.

"Sorry," the other guy mumbled before he stopped. "Harry?"

Both men stopped to look back at the man and Draco wanted to groan when he realized who it was. Ronald Weasley. Harry looked over at Draco in question. "Ron, he's your best friend," Draco murmured, making it look like he was covering a cough.

Harry smiled, hoping it didn't look as strained as it felt. "Ron? How are you?"

"Good, mate. What are you doing here? And with Malfoy?"

Harry frowned as Ron spat out the name. "He's helping me out for a while. Is there a problem with that?"

Ron sputtered, his eyebrows rising in surprise. He grabbed hold of Harry's arm and pulled him away a little so they wouldn't be overheard. "Harry! That's the ferret! When did you become friends with _him_?"

Harry pulled his arm out of Ron's hold with an annoyed look on his face. "When he saved my life? Having someone save you from death's door tends to change a lot of things, Ron. And stop calling him ferret."

Ron gaped at Harry like he'd lost his mind… _if only he knew_, Harry thought to himself. "You do realize who you're talking about, right? Malfoy doesn't help anyone unless it benefits him in some way. Why don't you come home with me? Viviane would be glad to see you. You haven't come around in a while, after all."

"Not right now, Ron. I'm in the middle of something at the moment and I need to figure some things out," Harry told him.

"Harry? We have to go," Draco called out, waiting impatiently and frowning at them.

"I'll talk to you later," Harry told Ron, who was glaring at the blond.

"One thing, Harry," Ron said, talking hold of Harry's arm before he could walk away. "Is it true that you're divorcing Ginny?"

"Yes, why?"

"How could you do that to her, Harry? I thought you two were happy?" Ron asked with a pained expression.

"I thought we were too, Ron. Things change." With that, he waved to Ron as he walked away to rejoin Draco.

When they were further away, Draco turned to see if Ron was following them. "Well, that went better than I thought it would. What did he want to know that he didn't want me to hear?"

Harry frowned as he thought back to that conversation. "Why did Ron call you ferret? Are we usually enemies?"

Draco was silent for a few blocks. "In school, we were enemies, but then, the Wizarding world was at war and you were their 'Savior'. Back then I thought you were only seeking attention from everyone. Since then, we haven't really associated, but we haven't really been enemies, either."

Harry was quiet for a while as he thought about what Ron had told him and what Draco had just revealed.

"What are you thinking about, Harry?" Draco asked as he led him into a pub called the Leaky Cauldron and through to the back.

"I'm just wondering what I'm doing. It seems that I know two different sides of you, but then, this could also be just a ruse to get me to trust you. Why would I go to you for help instead of my friends? Things just don't make sense." Harry heaved a sigh and he raised an eyebrow at the wall they were facing. "Where _are_ we anyway?"

Draco smirked and began tapping some of the stones. When he was done, he watched Harry's reaction as the stones began to move and melt away, revealing the alley behind it. Harry stared in amazement and Draco smiled at the wonder on his companion's face.

This, Draco realized, must have been the look he had when he'd first seen the Wizarding world for the first time at the age of eleven. He'd found out, with some discreet searching, that Harry hadn't know about his heritage before entering this world. That thought was foreign to Draco, but then Harry would always know how to move in the Muggle world, where as Draco wouldn't have a clue as to how to get around in it.

"Come on. The sooner we find what Snape wants, the sooner we can get back and see what information has come from my contacts."

"How did the outing go?" Snape asked Draco when he entered the Potions room Draco had in the manor.

Harry, thankfully, had gone up to rest before lunch.

"Better than I expected, though Harry's friends now know – or will know by the time Ronald Weasley is done – where he is, and so will his enemies. We might end up with some unwanted company… and soon.

"Explain."

"We met up with Ron Weasley as we were leaving the lawyer's building. He had to talk to Harry by himself, so I'm not quite sure what was said, but Harry was kind of quiet for the rest of our time out," Draco said with a shrug.

"Do you think it'll change what Potter thinks? If he's going to start balking when we try to help him with this problem?" Snape asked, frowning in thought.

"I don't think so. I tried to talk to him before we reached Diagon Alley, but I'm not sure if it did any good. I just hope he comes to either one of us if he has questions." Draco sighed tiredly. "I really don't want us to go back to being on opposites sides again."

Snape watched him for a few moments before going back to examining the ingredients Draco had just given him. "You Iwant/I him to be a friend of yours, don't you?"

Draco's head whipped around to look at his godfather. "What makes you say that?" Snape's eyebrow rose and Draco smiled sheepishly. "That obvious, huh?"

"Just a little, though, I don't think Potter realizes just how much of a friend you want to be."

Draco snorted at that. "I've noticed that Potter doesn't notice much unless it's right under his nose. At least that's how it was at school," he said with a shrug. "I guess we'll have to see if he's changed or not."

**Chapter 5 - Miranda**

Harry sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling his tie off and throwing it on a nearby chair. He hadn't realized how taxing the day had been until they had returned to the Manor.

How was he supposed to do this? His lawyer had said he would send an owl when they were ready to go to court. How was he going to react to his wife? He didn't even know her! Even the word 'wife' brought nothing to the surface.

All he could hope for was for more of his memory to come forward before that day. It would be nice to know _why_ he was divorcing her. Was she a bad mother? A bad wife? Did she cheat on him or was he simply tired of her? Or was _he_ the problem and not her?

He shook his head and sighed again, falling back on the bed to stare at the ceiling.

He recalled the meeting with Ron. The way he'd spat out Draco's name, like they were enemies. Did that mean Harry and Draco were also supposed to be enemies? Ron had been quite shocked that Harry was getting along with Draco, in fact.

Just what was going on?

And why _would_ he go to Draco for help instead of his best friend? Ron's reaction showed he was hurt that Harry had, in fact, _not_ gone to him for the help he needed. What had happened between them to make that happen?

He sighed in frustration, rubbing his eyes.

All this contemplation was giving him a headache. Then he frowned as he realized that something was missing and realized what it was. In some of his memories, he'd been wearing glasses. Why wasn't he now?

He'd have to ask Draco, maybe he would know. Right now it was just too much effort to get up and go find him.

With another sigh, he closed his eyes, hoping to get rid of the headache…

_Flashes of light, both green and white were flying everywhere. He could feel a stinging pain from the cuts on his face and hands. _

_Where was he?_

_Everything was moving too fast to focus on any specific thing. He knew there were multiple people fighting, but the faces wouldn't come into focus._

_A man with black hair and tattoos was standing beside him, laughing in delight. He registered briefly that he knew this man... He couldn't remember his name, but he knew he loved this man dearly._

_Who was he?_

_They'd defeated two opponents when a flash of green hit the black-haired man in the chest, catching him by surprise. Suddenly he was being swept back and up into a weird looking curtain and then was gone._

_He remembered screaming… something… Someone grabbing him from behind…_

_Then the scene faded…_

_The dream shifted to a strange place, where a small girl stood before him, laughing. "Come on, Harry. You know we can always scare the piss out of your cousin again," she told him, her eyes sparkling mischievously._

_"But, Miranda, you know he'll tell them you were here again… Unless you want to get caught," a young Harry said, frowning as he looked at his new friend. _

_She laughed again and twirled around, looking up at the sky. "Where's your sense of adventure, Harry!" she said loudly._

_"You like this, don't you," he accused as he looked around the yard, worried that his aunt and uncle would return sooner than expected. "You're not afraid of them, are you?"_

_"Afraid? Why would I be afraid?" she asked, frowning at him as she watched him closely. She didn't understand this. Adults could be fearsome, yes, but they didn't hurt you, after all._

_"Because if they catch you here, Dudley will tell them what you did to him earlier and then we'll both be in trouble," Harry hissed, pulling her closer, trying to convey his worry. "You don't get it. They don't just stop at a spanking. They take it further than that! A lot further."_

_Just then they heard a car pull up. He pulled her behind the shed and hoped they wouldn't look for him._

_No such luck._

_"Potter?" he heard his uncle yell as he came puffing out into the back yard. "Where _is_ that useless boy? Supper should have been cooked by now."_

_"Don't make a sound and stay hidden," Harry whispered in her ear. She sighed impatiently at his fear. He could tell she didn't understand it, but she would soon find out what there was to fear from adults... well, these adults, anyway._

_He picked up some weeds and smudged some dirt on his knees to make it look like he'd been weeding his aunt's flowers, before he walked around the shed. "Yes, Uncle Vernon?"_

_"There you are. Where's my supper? What were you doing?" Vernon demanded angrily._

_"Sorry, Uncle Vernon. I was just finishing up the flower garden for Aunt Petunia," Harry told him as he showed the fat man the weeds, hoping that would satisfy him._

_"You mean to tell me," Vernon began, his face beginning to purple, "that you've been out here playing instead of making my supper?"_

_"I'm sorry, I l-l-lost track of time," Harry mumbled, eyes wide in his little face, taking a quick step back as the fat man advanced towards him._

_"You leave him alone, you big bully," Miranda screamed, rage on her face for her friend. "No wonder your son is a bully! He learned it from _you_."_

_"Miranda! No!" Harry yelled, rooted to the spot in his fear. He watched as his uncle's attention diverted to the little girl, his eyes bulging in surprise._

_"And just who the hell are you?" he demanded, watching as she marched right up to him. _

_"I'm Harry's friend and you better not hurt him," she warned, wagging a finger at him. If Harry hadn't been so scared, he probably would have laughed at the sight. A little girl giving a grown up shite for being mean._

_"You'd better mind your own business, little girl, before someone reminds you to do so," Vernon growled menacingly._

_Harry held his breath, wondering if his uncle would actually hurt her. That was when he noticed her hands moving in one of the patterns she'd shown him earlier. "Miranda-"_

_The warning came too late. A ball of energy hit Vernon in the chest. He stumbled back a few steps, surprised… before he became enraged. "Another _freak_!" he choked out, moving closer to the fearless little girl. "I'll teach you…" he growled, raising his fist in the air._

_Harry took a deep breath to scream…_

"Potter?" Snape asked, frowning down at the man on the bed, shaking him roughly from his dream.

"He hit her," Harry mumbled, jerking awake.

"Who hit her?"

"My uncle. He hit her when she tried to protect me," Harry murmured, blinking up at the ceiling, trying to remember the dream... was it a dream? Or a memory?

"When? Who is she?" Snape's frown deepened. Was this a recent or an old memory? He couldn't remember hearing anything about Harry's uncle ever hitting anyone before. Was this something else Dumbledore had hidden from everyone else? That old coot had always been good at hiding thing from everyone. Especially when it came to his Golden Boy.

"Miranda. She was my only friend when I was little. She understood what I could do. She didn't think I was a freak, like my family…"

Snape was surprised at Harry's openness on the subject. Who was this Miranda? He didn't remember anyone with that name as a student at Hogwarts.

"She was fearless, standing up to him like that," he murmured with a fond smile on his face. "I've never had someone do that for me before… or since. Why did no one ever help me?" he asked, looking over at the old Potions master, frowning in confusion.

So then this was a memory, Snape thought to himself, surprised at the look of confusion on Harry's face. "We were never told that your uncle abused you, Harry," Snape murmured, not realizing that he'd called the man on the bed by his first name for the first time. "Was Miranda hurt?"

Harry frowned as he tried to recall. "I… think so. It's starting to fade, now. Will the memories ever stay for me to remember them clearly?"

"They will. It's just your body's way of protecting itself. You just have to be patient. I'm brewing a potion that should help with the memory problems a bit. I just have to check something out. Hold still."

Harry nodded and watched as his old professor pulled out his wand and said an incantation too softly for Harry to clearly catch the words. A light drifted out of the tip of the wand and settled over Harry, making his skin tingle a little, like someone had run little fingers over him.

Whatever it revealed, it made Snape's eyebrows rise in surprise. "Well…"

"What did you find?" Harry asked calmly, watching him carefully.

"It seems someone cast a spell on you."

"What kind of spell?" Draco asked from where he was lounging against the door frame, watching his godfather and his guest interact. He really hadn't thought that Snape and Potter would ever get along. It seemed he'd been wrong.

"One to permanently block his memories. Clearly someone doesn't want Potter to remember something," Snape murmured, frowning down at Harry. "I have work to do," he told them as he spun around and walked out of the room. He stopped in front of Draco. "We need to talk."

Draco nodded and looked over at Harry. "Why don't you take a shower before supper? I'll have one of the house-elves show you to the dining room in about an hour. There are some fresh clothes in the closet. They should fit you."

Harry sat up and nodded at him before Draco turned and followed the Potions master down the hall.

What had that all been about? Harry wondered with a frown before he got up and walked into the bathroom. Perhaps a shower _would_ help…

"What kind of spell is it?" Draco asked after he closed the door to the room Snape had appropriated as his potions lab.

"It's complicated," Snape murmured as he flipped through a book.

"You said it permanently blocked memories. What else does it do?"

Snape sighed and put the book down. "It also allows whoever cast it to see what memories Harry sees. I'm not sure if it also includes dreams, but Potter may be in more danger than we first assumed. Of course, it could be why he's dreaming his memories instead of seeing more of them when he's awake." Snape shook his head, trying to get his thoughts organized. "They already know he's still alive, and, if it's as you say, you met up with Mr. Weasley, then his enemies may already know where he is."

"I think I'll spend some time reinforcing the wards around the estate," Draco murmured with a tired sigh. "Rebecca will be home for supper. Are you going to join us? You know how she likes it when you stay and visit with her."

Snape frowned down at the book on the table. "I think I will. I might even spend a few days here to make sure nothing goes wrong with Potter. It'll save you the trouble of sending for me," he said with a shrug, ignoring the knowing smirk on Draco's face.

"Of course," Draco murmured and left Snape to his research. He was halfway down the hallway when he frowned in thought. How was this going to unfold? This would be the first time Harry would meet Rebecca since he'd been in the house.

Draco hadn't told her about Harry yet, and he'd forbidden the house-elves from telling her about their guest.

This should prove to be an interesting evening…

"We're having guests for supper tonight," Draco murmured as he looked at his daughter, smiling fondly. It seemed that the Malfoy look was stronger than the Parkinson side of the family. She looked like a feminine version of Draco. Her blond hair hung down her back in slightly curly waves.

Rebecca looked up at her father in surprise, cocking her head to one side. "Oh, you mean you're done with locking up the guest in that room?" she asked cheekily, her eyes dancing mischievously.

Draco's eyebrow rose at her question. "So you knew about him." It wasn't a question. He'd known it would be impossible to keep anything from her. She liked digging up secrets.

Rebecca laughed and took Draco's hand. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? Especially when Tammy keeps sniffing in disapproval? I knew something was up when she said she couldn't answer my questions. Really, Dad, you should know better than trying to keep something from me. It just makes me even _more _curious."

Draco sighed and led her to the couch. "In that case," he murmured as he sat down beside her. "You might as well know that no one can know he's here."

"Why?"

Draco looked at her sharply, looking to see if she was playing the 'why' game with him, but he only saw curiosity in her gray eyes. "Because he's in trouble and we don't want that trouble following him here."

He watched as she thought about that for a few moments. "But, Dad, the wards won't allow them onto the grounds. You know that."

"That doesn't mean we want them to know he's here, now does it?"

Rebecca frowned at that. "I guess not." She turned to look at him fully. "So, who is he?"

"Harry Potter." He bit his lip to keep from smiling at her reaction. Her eyes became really wide as she gaped at him.

"_The_ Harry Potter?"

"Yes, just don't refer to him like that, though," Draco told her as he laughed while she practically bounced on the couch, taking hold of her hand when she went to jump up. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To meet him, of course. I've always wanted to see the man who made you so angry at school." She frowned at him when what he'd said sunk in. "Why can't I refer to him like that?"

"Because he doesn't remember who he is. We need to give him time to remember on his own."

"Really?"

Draco nodded and watched as she thought of that for a few minutes. When she opened her mouth to ask another question, he held up a hand. "Enough for now, Rebecca. Besides, your godfather has deigned to spend a few days with us. "

He watched as her face lit up. "Really? I must go get ready for dinner," she told him as she jumped up and ran out of the room without a backward glance. _Probably going to see if she can't find Severus_, Draco thought in amusement.

_This should_ really _be an interesting evening._

**Chapter 6 - Court**

Harry walked beside Draco as they made their way down the corridor towards the court room where Harry would be seeing his wife for the first time. He was a little nervous. Would she trigger any memories?

And if she did, could he handle it?

When they approached the room they were looking for, he noticed a woman standing there talking to three men and he frowned. He knew them… he just couldn't place them. He slowed down as he tried to remember what it was about these people that made him uneasy.

Then the woman turned around to see who was coming and that's when it hit him.

_…He stood beside Ginny as she lay on a bed, cradling their baby in her arms, smiling sweetly down at the child, two other children standing around the bed, looking at the little girl…_

_…He was arguing with Ginny, over something stupid she found fault in. Blaming him for everything that was happening…_

_…He stood between her and the children, her eyes flashing dangerously. She threw a spell at Harry, but he blocked it easily. "Leave and don't come back, Ginny. This is it. I want a divorce, and you'll never see the kids again."_

_"Just try and stop me from getting custody," she growled dangerously. "Do you really think they'd give _you _the children with the type of work you do?" she laughed mockingly as she walked out the door…_

It took a few seconds before Draco realized that Harry had slowed down. "Harry?" he asked in surprise turning around to look at Harry. He frowned at Harry, who was looking at the floor, panting hard with a hand on the wall for support. Draco walked over to him, making sure to block the others' view of what was happening.

"Breathe, Harry. Breathe," he murmured softly as he reached out to touch Harry's arm. "You can do this, just breathe. Remember where you are."

"Is everything alright, Mr. Malfoy?" Mr. Westrum asked as he appeared beside them, raising an eyebrow at Harry's state.

"Yes, everything's fine. Harry just feels a little overwhelmed. We'll be in shortly."

The lawyer looked from Draco to Harry but didn't comment. "I'll be waiting inside. You have five minutes."

Draco nodded and looked back up at Harry, who was finally breathing normally. "What happened?"

"Ginny tried to harm the children. I don't think she has them," Harry told him softly, making sure no one was overhearing their conversation, though it seemed Ginny and the others had already gone in.

"She doesn't? Then where are they?" Draco asked in surprise. Just who _did_ have the kids?

"I don't know, but we have to find out for sure. We'll have to get Mr. Westrum to ask to see the children, just to test her."

Draco nodded in thought. "Do you feel well enough to go in there?" he asked Harry, looking at him carefully. Usually the memories took a lot out of Harry. This one seemed not as bad as the others. Perhaps they were decreasing in intensity now?

"We don't have a choice. If I don't go in there, there's no telling what will happen to my children. We'd better get in there before they come looking for us." Harry told him as he pushed away from the wall and took a deep fortifying breath. "Let's get this over with."

They entered the court room and walked over to where Mr. Westrum sat at a table. "Are you feeling better, Mr. Potter?" the goblin asked as the men sat down beside him.

"Yes, thank you. How do you think this day will go?" Harry murmured politely, trying to appear calm, when his insides were clenching at the thought of what was about to happen.

"Today is only to establish the demands and begin negotiations, tomorrow will begin the character assassination. That will be where they will try to portray you as an unfit father and husband so your soon-to-be ex-wife can get as much out of you as possible. I hope you're ready for what will happen, Mr. Potter, because it will _not_ be pretty."

"Can we put in a demand to see the children today or will it have to wait until tomorrow?" Draco asked, frowning in thought.

"We can put in a request today if that's what you want. We'll have to wait and see what the judge says."

"Yes, I'd like to see my kids as soon as possible," Harry told him, before a door in the back opened and the judge walked in to sit at the judge's bench and any further talk was prohibited.

Harry sighed tiredly as he rubbed his eyes, sitting back in his chair. Today had gone better than he'd thought. The judge had agreed with Harry that Ginny shouldn't have access to his vaults.

His keys had been given back to him.

It had surprised him when she'd given them without too much fuss, though she hadn't been too happy to be giving them up.

It hadn't really shocked him, only confirmed what he'd gotten from today's memories, when his lawyer had asked the judge if Harry could visit with his children. Ginny had promptly told the judge that Harry had them. Where were they if he didn't have them?

Yes, where were they? That was the question he now had to ask himself. How was he going to find out? Where could he start?

"Come on, Harry. Let's go back to the Manor and see what we can do about tomorrow," Draco murmured as he rose from his chair. Harry nodded and followed suit, wondering just how far they could strategize, considering he couldn't really help with information that they'd need.

Though, he felt like he was missing something… important. "Sure. Let's go."

"Harry?" he heard from behind him. Turning around, he was surprised to see Ginny standing on the other side of the table from him. "Can we talk for a minute?" she asked, looking at Mr. Westrum, then at Draco. "Alone?"

"I think that's a bad idea," Draco told him when Harry hesitated briefly.

"I agree," the lawyer said, frowning in disapproval. "We are in the process of a divorce here, Mrs. Potter. There is no room for private talks. That should have occurred before we reached this stage. Since there were no attempts from you or your lawyer, I must object to any privacy between the two of you from now on."

"Harry," Ginny murmured, smiling charmingly up at Harry. "What harm could it do to talk? Just the two of us?"

Harry frowned at her, wondering what she was up to. "Actually, I think I'll listen to my lawyer on this. It'll save us from accusations later."

Draco bit his lip at the look of anger and frustration on Ginny's face. So she _had_ been planning something. He wondered just what it was.

"Fine. I just wanted you to know that I want the kids. I want to see them. Bring them here tomorrow."

"No. I don't want them exposed to this. They're better off not having to deal with what we're going through. This way we can't use them against each other," Harry told her.

"I wouldn't do that to them," she said disdainfully, offended that he would even think such a thing.

"I didn't say you would. I just said it would be too much of a temptation. These situations tend to bring out the worst in people. I don't want to chance it."

Draco could've applauded at Harry's quick thinking. This way, he didn't have to admit to not having the children and he didn't require any proof of them being with Harry either. And he'd thought of it all by himself. This explained why Harry was such a good Auror. He let his instincts guide him. Without his memories, he could've easily allowed Ginny to lead him away and done whatever damage she could've, but he'd followed the advice of the lawyer instead.

"We'll see about that," she growled angrily before she turned around and stalked back to her group.


	3. Chapters 7 to 9

Beta'd by Bubba and Lady Katye

**Chapter 7 – Rebecca**

Harry roamed the manor, looking for something to do in this big home. He felt like he was imposing somehow. Why would he come to Draco for help instead of his friends? What _was_ between him and Draco? Ron had hinted that they were rivals. Why, then, go to someone he hated?

Realizing he'd been walking down a corridor he'd never been in, he decided to see just what was in the rooms lining the hallway. The first one opened up to a large empty room with pillars ringing the outer edge. He raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. Just what was this room for?

"That's the ballroom," a voice said behind him. Turning around, he looked down at a five-year-old little girl. She had to be Draco's daughter. The resemblance was striking.

"The ballroom?" he asked, looking back at the room. It made sense. "And who are you?" he asked as he closed the door.

"Rebecca. You're Harry Potter," she said. It wasn't a question. "Can I help you with anything?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. He knew she was scrutinizing him, sizing him up.

"I'm just looking around. Care to be my guide?" he asked with a soft smile, wondering if his own children were just as engaging as this little one.

Rebecca shrugged and motioned for him to lead the way. "Sure. Would you care to lead?"

Harry bowed respectfully, if playfully to her and closed the door to the ballroom. "What's in this next room?" he asked, gesturing to the door on the left side of the corridor.

"Solar room. Grand Mother used to sit in there, just looking at her gardens outside. Where are your kids, Mr. Potter?" Rebecca asked, her tone casual, as if she were asking how the weather outside was like.

"Please, call me Harry," he told her as they continued down the corridor. "As for my kids," he said with a heavy sigh. "I'm not quite sure at the moment."

Rebecca frowned as she looked up at him. "How can you _not_ know where your kids are?" she asked, a look of confusion on her little face.

"Someone cast a spell on me to make me forget who I am and everything important in my life. I can only hope that Mr. Snape and your father can help me before it's too late," Harry told her, watching as she processed what he was saying.

"It's professor Snape," Rebecca corrected, almost like was doing without realizing it, making Harry's lips twitch slightly as he tried not to laugh at her. "Is that why he's here? To help you?"

"I hope he can. We'll see. What about this room, then?" he asked to distract her.

"This is a guest room. Why don't you try doing some research on the spell?" she asked, letting him know that his ploy hadn't worked.

"How would I go about doing that? I can't even figure out where I am in this house."

Rebecca looked at him with a raised eyebrow, reminding Harry of Draco. "Down this hall, you go down the right hand corridor and you're back in the main entrance. If you go down the left hand corridor, it'll take you to the library. I'm sure you'll find some useful books in there. Father has books on just about every type of spell you can think of. He said Grand Father was into some heavy magic, but he won't say what kind. If that doesn't work, three doors down from your room, there's another library, though, I think Uncle Severus has already raided that one. If you _still_ can't find anything in that one, let me know and I'll tell you where the other three libraries are."

"There are that many libraries in this house?" Harry asked in surprise.

"My family has been collecting books for so long, I wouldn't be surprised if there were more libraries I haven't found yet," she told him with a shrug.

Five libraries or more? Just how big _was_ this house. Then a thought occurred to him and he looked down at Rebecca. "Would you like to help me? I'm sure with the two of us looking, we might be able to find something to help professor Snape get rid of this spell a lot quicker."

Rebecca tilted her head to one side again, looking up at Harry as if to see if he was making fun of her. Her eyes lit up when she realized he was serious. "Are you sure?"

"Of course… unless you're busy with something else."

"Are you kidding? I was going a little stir crazy with boredom. Uncle Severus won't let me help him, like he usually does. This would provide a great distraction and I can keep researching while you work on your divorce with Father and your lawyer," she told him excitedly, stopping short of jumping with joy.

"Are you sure your father won't mind if you help me out?" Harry asked with a slight frown. Though he liked the thought of some help, he didn't want to make Draco mad at him by getting his daughter into trouble.

"Nah, it'll keep me out of his hair and keep me occupied. He'll probably be thankful."

Harry laughed and gestured for her to lead the way to the library. "The sooner we start, the sooner we can be of some help with this," he told her.

center* * */center

For the next three days, when Harry wasn't in court, he was helping Rebecca with the search. He was making better progress with the library than in court. Mr. Westrum had been right about the character assassination. He'd never realized just how bad it could get.

He was beginning to wonder if some of the things being said about him were true. Was he really a glory hound? He'd seen all the clippings Ginny had provided the court that said he was. He'd seen the glint in her eyes when he'd read some of them. He couldn't believe he'd go out of his way to make headlines so many times. It seemed that his whole life was in those clippings. What disturbed him the most was that Ginny had them all. Was she _that_ obsessed with him? Did they really call him 'The Boy Who Lived'? Who the hell had come up with that title, anyway?

But then some people had come into court and given testimony that Harry wasn't like anything that was said in the clippings. They'd painted a different picture of a man trying hard to make a living after the war, to provide a normal life for his family. Even Ron had come forward and told the court that Harry had never wanted to be in the papers, that his entire life had been recorded by nosy reporters who couldn't mind their own business.

He'd have to remember to ask Draco about this war they kept mentioning. Had it really been that bad?

Rebecca drew him out of his thoughts by plunking a book in front of him. "I found this. It seems promising."

He leaned forward to read the few lines that were above a drawing. The picture seemed to tug at his memory and he felt very uncomfortable looking at it. "Let's take it to Snape. I think we might have found what he needs."

Rebecca nodded and put a piece of paper in the book to mark the page. "You take it up. I'll keep looking for more."

Harry nodded, picked up the book and walked out of the library to go in search of the Potions master.

center* * */center

"Yes, it does look like the tattoo you have on your back. And you say it makes you uneasy to look at?" Snape asked as he frowned down at the book.

"It's almost like I've seen it before, but nothing wants to come up. Will this help?" He looked between Snape and Draco, hoping this would help him get rid of the thing they kept referring to as a tattoo. He was also hoping that the removal of the tattoo would mean that his memories would return faster, or maybe even completely.

"I'll have to study this, but it looks promising. You say Rebecca found this?" the older man asked with a slight smile, looking up at Harry.

Harry shrugged and hoped he wouldn't get the little girl in trouble. "She insisted, said she was bored and wanted something to do. Since I didn't know where to start, I figured it wouldn't hurt."

Draco shook his head. "I told you, you can't keep her out of this even if you tried. She's determined to help you whether you want it or not."

"She's too much like her father," Snape murmured with a raised eyebrow. "I think I'll go see what else she's found."

Harry waited until Snape had left the room before he looked over at Draco. "Can I ask you a question?"

Draco looked at Harry before he poured himself a drink. "Sure. Want a drink?"

"No, thank you. What's this war everyone keeps mentioning?" As he was sitting down, he missed Draco's reaction to the question.

"Are you sure you want to know this, Harry? It's not a pleasant story," Draco murmured as he tried to regain control of his reactions.

Harry frowned at Draco's back, wondering just how bad it could be. "I'd like to know what it is I did that's earned a title like 'The Boy Who Lived'."

"Fair enough," Draco said with a shrug and sat down in the chair opposite Harry. "A few years ago, there was a wizard who decided that ruling the world would be a good idea. The only problem was a prophecy that was made before either of us were born.

"It said that a child would be born who'd be able to stop him. So he decided that he had to find this child and kill him. Unfortunately, your parents had just found out that they were going to have a child. According to what I found out a couple of years ago, the prophecy could have been one of two children born on the month that prophecy mentioned.

"This man decided that he had to pick one. Again, unfortunately, he chose you. He went after your parents and killed them, but when he tried to kill you, the spell backfired and he was killed instead… or so everyone believed. Well, maybe not everyone. A man named Dumbledore whisked you away to live with your aunt and uncle until you could begin school.

"I don't know how life with your relatives was like, so I can't tell you anything there, but when you began school, that's when all the trouble began. The first year, you stopped Voldemort from coming back from the dead.

"Second year, you saved the whole school from a monster that Voldemort had brought out. Third year, I found out later, you saved your godfather from death. Fourth year, Voldemort was reborn thanks to a man who'd betrayed your parents to Voldemort. In sixth year, you started a club teaching some students how to defend themselves. Then your godfather was killed by one of Voldemort's followers. In Seventh year you finally managed to kill the bastard, but not before he had killed a lot of people, including people you loved and cared for, but you also saved a lot of lives in the process."

Draco knew he'd omitted a lot of what had happened in those years, but then he didn't think Harry would notice the difference. He just wanted to know what had happened for him to be in the papers as much as he'd been. He couldn't blame him for wondering. Hell, for years, Draco had, himself, thought that Harry was a glory hound, looking for attention all the time. He understood the confusion he'd seen on Harry's face when he'd read the clippings and heard some of his co-workers and friends talk about how Harry really was.

He'd been expecting Harry to ask him questions, just not this soon.

Harry looked thoughtful for a few minutes before he stood up. "Thank you for telling me, though I felt like a lot was being left out. May I ask you some more questions… later?"

Draco nodded, relieved that he didn't want clarifications now. "Of course."

"Thanks." Harry left Draco alone in his study.

**Chapter 8 - Removal Attempt Pt1**

"Is there any change in his memories?" a woman asked, her cloak hiding her face and body effectively from the gathering's sight. Before her knelt Ginny, Blaise, and a few others she didn't care about.

"None. The mark pulses every day, but it doesn't relay anything that we want to know. Only old memories of his childhood for the most part," Ginny murmured, keeping her eyes down on the floor, remembering the time when someone had actually dared to try to catch a glimpse of this woman.

It still gave her nightmares.

She was just as callous as their Lord had been. Which was probably why he'd made her his before his demise.

"Have you tried the direct approach?" the woman asked, her tone dangerous. This was _not_ going like she'd planned. Potter wasn't supposed to get away. Potter was supposed to become one of them, not get help from _Malfoy_, of all people. "It _has_, after all, been two months since Blaise placed the mark."

"No, he won't separate from his lawyer and Malfoy long enough for me to check on the mark, My Lady," Ginny said, tensing in case the woman retaliated from the news. The Cruciatus curse hit her after her statement.

Ginny screamed in pain as she writhed on the floor, the others moving away from her in case they received the same treatment.

The woman watched dispassionately, anger coursing through her. She needed that child! Only Potter knew where he was. Which meant she needed Potter to find out where he was!

She ended the curse with an angry snarl. "Find. Me. That. _Child_!"

Harry frowned at Snape. "Are you sure this will work?"

Snape's eyebrow rose. "There are no guarantees. The only way to know is to try it and see. Are you chickening out, Potter?" he sneered.

Harry's head snapped up to look at the old professor. "No, I just want to make sure this is going to work. Since even you don't know what's going to happen, it doesn't exactly fill me with confidence," he snapped. Was this how this man had treated him in school? No wonder he didn't like him.

"Since this is a spell I've never come across before, it stands to reason that not many people would know how to remove it but the person who cast it in the first place. And since you don't know who that is, all we have to go on are guesses and tries. Are you still willing to let me try to remove it?"

"Just do it. The sooner we try this, the sooner I can get my memories back without worrying about what someone else is getting from me," Harry said through gritted teeth as he knelt in the center of the room Snape had led him, minus a shirt so they could see the mark better and judge what the effects of the ritual would be.

Draco stood quietly on the other side of the room, waiting to see what would happen. Rebecca had wanted to see as well, but Snape and Draco had ignored her protests when she'd been denied entrance.

Draco knew she was standing on the other side of the magic work room, pouting, but refusing to leave completely. He felt bad about denying her, since she had done the majority of the research, but he also didn't want her harmed.

With wand drawn, Snape began murmuring words in Latin that neither he nor Harry could make out.

At first there was no change, but suddenly Harry gasped and Snape frowned as intense heat began to radiate from the man on the floor. The incantation continued and Draco wondered if this was good.

Harry was shaking in reaction to whatever Snape was saying and the heat increased, making it almost oppressive in the small room. Draco could see the mark begin to shimmer and tighten as it fought back, trying to remain where it was, like it was a living thing.

It looked like Snape was winning as the mark started to fade at the edges. Suddenly, they felt a shift in the power rippling in the room. Harry screamed in pain and the Mark pulsed, it was the only way Draco could describe what happened.

The pulse caught Snape off guard, throwing him back against the wall. Draco wanted to go to the older man, but forced himself to watch Harry.

Harry's eyes glowed red and he floated several inches off the floor as the Mark became an angry red and it pulsed again before it regained its original design, with a red outline and Harry fell forward in an unconscious heap.

Once Draco was sure everything was back to normal, he walked quickly over to Snape who was picking himself up off the floor. "What happened?"

"Apparently, whoever put that Mark on him put a protection spell as well. Whenever anyone tries to take it off, it'll try to defend itself."

"It almost acted like it was alive," Draco murmured as he looked over at Harry. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. You might as well check on him. I doubt it'll kill him, but you never know," Snape murmured as he stretched, making sure he hadn't sprained anything.

Draco walked carefully over to Harry, weary that the mark might pulse again, and reached over to touch Harry's neck, checking for a pulse. "He's got a pulse, a little weak, but there. Should we attempt to remove it again? Or do you want to wait?"

"It might be better to wait until Potter has recovered from this assault before we try again. It'll give me time to study what else they might have put in place to protect that Mark. Also, when I attempted to remove it, my own Mark reacted to the incantation. Perhaps it was both together that created the pulse," Snape murmured as he walked closer to the two men, pulling back his sleeve to reveal his own mark with a red outline.

Draco frowned down at the mark. "You mean it's like a Dark Mark?"

"Yes. Which means someone out there is trying to finish what He started."

Draco stared at him in surprise. "We can't let that happen, Severus. We barely survived what He did the last time. I don't think the Wizarding world would survive another assault."

"Exactly. I think the next time we attempt this, you'll have to do the incantation. You never took the Mark so it might not react the same way. And it might actually work," Snape told him, looking Draco in the eye. "And we might be able to remove this one as well. Depending on how Potter reacts to the removal."

Draco looked down at Harry, wondering what this would mean. "How long before we attempt it again?"

"Give it a week. Potter will be recovered by then and it'll give you enough time to learn the incantation correctly."

Draco nodded and pulled out his wand, casting a lightening spell and picking Harry up. "I'll put him to bed, then I'll come find you to begin learning the incantation." Snape nodded and Draco Apparated away.

**Chapter 9 - Removal Attempt Pt2**

_Harry sighed in relief as he ducked into an alley. The children were safe and out of reach. Now he just had to stay out of their reach for a while longer. It was too bad he didn't know who to trust. He'd normally go to Ron for help, but with what had happened with Ginny, he wasn't quite sure if Ron was involved or not. _

_Who could he go to for help? Who could he trust?_

_Hearing a crinkling noise beneath his feet, he looked down and frowned as he saw a copy of the Prophet with a picture of Draco Malfoy standing in front of a new store he was just opening. Another one? He was doing very well for himself, especially with the war finally fading from some people's minds._

_Harry's eyes widened as a thought occurred to him. That was who he could trust! After all the trouble the Ministry had put him through, Draco would not want to jeopardize his standing within the Wizarding world by associating with them._

_Now he only had to get there without getting caught..._

_The blast caught him by surprise, sending him sprawling. Rolling quickly, he reacted without thinking. He saw the shadowy figure standing at the corner of the alley and threw a spell at it and took off running, trying to get away from whatever it was._

_The second blast caught him as he neared the end the alley and sent him soaring into the corner. He landed in a heap, trying to breathe. He tried to fight off the darkness as it began eating away at his consciousness. He dimly saw a figure walking towards him before the darkness dragged him down…_

_Harry slowly became aware of people standing around him and that his body felt like it was on fire. _

_"The Mark is in place?" a woman asked from somewhere above him. He wanted to look up at her, but his eyes wouldn't open. Even his body wasn't cooperating with him, muscles shuddering slightly whenever he even _thought_ of moving._

_"Yes, Mistress. Whatever memory surfaces now, we'll be able to see it. It's only a matter of time before we find them," another woman murmured from behind him. What were they talking about? Who were these people? What had they done to him? Who were they looking for?_

_"Good. The longer our lord waits, the more impatient he becomes. He wants his new body as soon as possible. Do not disappoint us." The threat was clear in the woman's voice. _

_"Yes, Mistress," the woman behind him murmured._

_Harry managed to get his wits about him and focus beyond the pain. He had to get out of there. He wasn't quite sure how to do it, so he let his instincts work for him, concentrating on just getting out. Before anyone could realize what he was doing he Apparated with a loud crack_.

Draco sat in the chair beside Harry's bed, head pounding with all the words he'd had to learn. He just hoped he'd remember the proper order when it came time to redo the ritual. He just had to remember what was at stake, not just the safety of Rebecca and the Manor, not to mention Harry's children, but the rest of the Wizarding world.

He did _not_ want to live through another war with a megalomaniac wizard who wanted absolute power. He didn't want it for Rebecca either. For her sake, he'd have to help Harry get rid of this Mark.

After today, he couldn't really call it a tattoo. He shivered again as he remembered how it had reacted to Snape, shoving him back like it had with a pulse of power. Where had it gotten that power? Was it using Harry's or had the power been added by whoever had put it there to begin with?

The thought was a little frightening.

He was brought out of his dark thoughts when a small hand came to rest on his lap. "How is he, Father?" Rebecca asked softly as she watched Harry's pale face.

"I think he'll be alright. He's been through worse that this and survived," Draco murmured as he covered her hand, squeezing reassuringly.

"Did it work?" she asked, looking over at her father, frowning at the way he'd phrased it.

"No," he told her with a sigh. "But Severus was probably the wrong person to try it. We'll try it again once Harry's feeling better."

"As long as it's not right now, I'm game," Harry murmured fuzzily from the bed.

"How long have you been awake?" Draco asked with a small smile.

"Not long. How long have I been out?" he asked as he pulled himself into a sitting position on the bed, biting back a hiss of pain as it jarred his head.

"A few hours. Snape says we can try it again in a few days," Draco told him as he watched Harry's reactions.

"We can't try it again tomorrow?" he asked, hoping to get this over with as soon as possible.

Draco was silent for a few minutes, eyes narrowed as he looked at Harry's exhausted face. "Harry, I won't lie to you. If we try it again before you've recovered, it could kill you. It's better if we let your body recover."

Harry sighed in resignation. He couldn't really argue with that. As much as he wanted the thing gone, he didn't want to kill himself doing it. "You're right," he murmured, plucking at the blanket restlessly.

"I understand your desire to have it removed, but we need to also exercise some caution as well. We'll try again in a few days. This time it should work."

"What went wrong?" Harry asked curiously.

Draco hesitated, wondering how he could explain that the Dark Mark on Snape's arm might be the same kind of magic on his back. "The spell reacted with the Mark Snape has on his arm," he said with a sigh.

Harry frowned at that, watching Draco with sharp green eyes. "Mark? Is it the same thing as what's on my back?"

"No. They're different, but apparently they can both be used in the same manner. Yours is slightly different than his because of the intent behind it. His was more like a slave mark, yours is more for blocking your memories."

Harry frowned at that. For some odd reason, it actually made sense to him. "So what will make it different when we try again?"

"I'll be doing the ritual this time. Since I never took the Mark, it won't react to me in the same way. We're hoping that will make the difference."

Harry nodded and closed his eyes. "Let me know when Snape thinks we can try again."

"I will."

The week went by far too fast for Draco, but the time came for them to try again. The difference being that only Draco and Harry were in the room, to prevent Snape's Mark from interfering with the spell.

Harry was in the same position as the first time, on his knees in the center of the room without a shirt.

"Ready whenever you are," he murmured as Draco stood behind him at the ready with a knife and his wand.

Since he had to go at it a different way, Snape had suggested using the wand to dispel the Mark at the end and the knife to make a small cut on the back of Harry's shoulder to give the dark magic a way out of his body.

The ritual began the same way as it had with Snape but Draco was murmuring too softly for Harry to catch what he was saying.

Again, at first there was no change, but suddenly Harry gasped and an intense heat began to radiate from him. Harry was shaking in reaction to whatever Draco was saying and the heat increased, making it almost oppressive in the small room. Draco could see the Mark begin to shimmer and tighten as it fought back, trying to remain where it was, like it was a living thing.

This time, when Draco felt the shift in power rippling in the room, he was ready for it. Harry screamed in pain and the Mark pulsed and Draco pointed his wand at the mark. "I desino alter munimentum insideo hinc haec!"

The Mark reddened more as the protection around it seemed to pulse and break under the spell. That's when Draco hit it with the second part. "I abrumpo hinc haec signum insideo coactu. Liberatio tui potior atqui abisto!" Then he made a cut about two inches long above the mark.

Harry's eyes glowed red and he floated several inches off the floor as the Mark became an angry red and it pulsed again but without the protection, it continued to fade until it was gone, rising from Harry's body with an angry howl in a black cloud of malice. Harry dropped to the floor, unconscious.

Draco held his breath for a minute and reached down to check on Harry. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the heart beat under his fingers and quickly dispelled the protection around the room to allow Snape to enter. He knew the older man would feel the difference without him opening the door.

He didn't have long to wait. Snape strode in, an eyebrow raised in silent question. "It worked," Draco murmured as he straightened up to face his mentor. "You realize we might be able to use this ritual to rid you of that Mark, right?"

"That thought had occurred to me, but right now, we need to observe the effects on Potter."

Draco nodded and lightened Harry so he could carry him back to his room to rest. "Tomorrow will tell," he murmured to Snape as he passed him.

Draco watched as Harry walked stiffly into the dining room and sat slowly down. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Sore," Harry answered as he leaned slowly back into his chair. "I feel like I went ten rounds with Buckbeak."

Draco's eyebrow rose at the mention of the Hippogriff. "Have your memories returned?"

Harry looked up at Draco with a blank expression before he blinked and thought about it. "Not really, why?"

"Because Buckbeak was the Hippogriff you saved during our third year at school."

Harry's eyebrows rose at that. "Really? I don't remember that, but I guess that means it's a good sign, right?"

Just then Snape walked in with Rebecca. "Yes, that is a good sign," the old Potions master said when he was told about remembering the Hippogriff. "It'll take time for you to recover the amount of knowledge you lost with the imposition of the dark magic. I'm just wondering if they realized the Mark is gone."

"I was wondering the same thing," Draco murmured softly, eyes narrowed in thought.

"I don't think so," Rebecca said from between Harry and Draco. All three adults looked at her in surprise.

"And what makes you say that?" Snape asked, forgetting to sneer or make any other snide comments.

"Because Harry's wife needed to get him away from Father and his lawyer. Why else would she try that? They were in a court room where everyone would see them. She didn't have to try that unless they didn't have complete control over the mark," Rebecca said with a shrug as she put marmalade on her toast.

"How do you know that?" Harry asked her, curious about her deductions.

"I read it in one of the books I showed you. The Mark can go one of two ways, complete control or no control. I got the feeling from what you were saying that they might not have had enough time to complete the spell to place the Mark like they wanted before you left," she said as she took a small bite of her toast. "That's something else they didn't expect: your escape."

"Are you sure you're only five?" Harry asked with a look of respect for the little girl.

"Yes, but even Father admitted that I'm exceptionally smart for someone my age," she said impishly, making them laugh.


	4. Chapters 10 to 12

Beta'd by Bubba and Lady Katye

**Chapter 10 – An Unexpected Ally?**

Draco frowned as he watched an unlikely bird lazily circle above the gardens where Harry was sitting in the sun a week after they had removed the mark. He was surprised to see it was an eagle-hawk. He'd never heard of such a bird living in England before. Where could it have come from?

As he made his way to the gardens, he noticed the bird wing down to rest on a nearby chair. That's when he noticed the strange ball resting on its back. What kind of magic was this?

"Whose bird is that, Harry?" he asked, hoping more of his memories had surfaced.

Harry was eyeing the bird warily and shook his head, not daring to look away from the animal. "I've never seen this bird before in my life."

Suddenly the ball lit up and a figure stretched out of it until it was roughly two feet tall. "Harry James Potter! Where the _hell_ have you been?" the woman demanded, hands on her hips, beside her stood a young man, who looked strange to Draco.

"Sorry?" Harry asked, surprised to be addressed in such a manner. "Who _are_ you?"

"Who am I?" The woman was taken aback and blinked at Harry. "What's wrong with you?"

"Um, perhaps I can help with that?" Draco said with a raised eyebrow and felt strange to be talking to what looked like a replica of a woman… a real woman.

She turned her focus on him and he had the distinct feeling that she could see through him to his soul. "And just who are you?"

He felt himself bristle at her tone. He hadn't done anything to warrant it, after all. Talking a deep breath, he managed to hold his temper. "I'm Draco Malfoy."

He watched as an incredulous look came over her face. "Really?" She looked over at Harry in surprise. "What happened?"

He liked her efficiency. She didn't spend time asking useless questions. "Harry was attacked a little while back and has lost his memories." He tilted his head to one side when her gaze sharpened. "What do you know about it?"

"I think I'd rather talk about this in person. May I come through?"

Draco felt his eyebrows rise. "What do you mean 'come through'?"

"It's faster if I show you. I just thought you'd appreciate my asking instead of assuming." Suddenly she looked away and they saw two small children run across her image. "James, Sirius, go find something else to chase. Tigger's had enough for now," she called after them before she turned back to look at Harry.

Draco looked over at Harry, whose eyes were slightly glassy and was panting. "Longfeather, watch the portal for me. I don't want the kids to come through with me. It might not be safe. Sorry about this, Mr. Malfoy."

That was the only warning he got. The ball on the eagle-hawk rolled off and landed on the ground beside the chair. Suddenly, it flared and the woman emerged through it as if it was a water puddle. She gasped, eyes closed, looking up toward the sky.

"I always hate doing that, but that's the only way to go through," she muttered as she looked down at Harry. She moved to go to him, but Harry jumped to his feet and backed away from her. "Harry?"

Draco noticed she was moving as if she were confronted with a wounded animal and not a man: careful and slow, hands held up so he could see she held nothing in her hands. "You have to listen to me. I'm a friend," she murmured softly as she slowly moved closer to Harry.

Harry was standing still, head tilted to one side, as if he were listening to something. Draco moved to stand closer to Harry, in case he needed help. The other man looked like he was going to bolt at any second.

What he did, though, Draco hadn't anticipated. Harry suddenly faced the woman and moved his hands in an odd pattern and Draco realized too late that Harry was casting some kind of wandless magic. The spell hit the woman, sending her flying a couple of feet away. She landed on her back, causing the eagle-hawk to shriek in rage. It spread its wings and turned to look at Harry. "No, Turul. Stay." The woman said, cradling her arm.

She looked over at Harry, who blinked at her, as if he were in a trance. She rolled back, crossing her legs as she came down and pushed herself to her feet. "Move back, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco looked at her as if she'd lost her mind.

She looked at him and he realized she was serious. "I know what I'm doing. Move back." He moved back and watched as she shook out her hand, almost like she was shaking off some kind of numbness, and began advancing on Harry again, muttering something under her breath.

He could tell by the determined look on her face that Harry probably wouldn't catch her so easily off guard again. He watched as Harry took a step back, his hands moving in another strange pattern, but then he noticed hers moving in the same pattern. _So, she knows what this is_, he thought to himself as he watched two balls of energy collide between them.

He didn't know how that was possible, but he watched as she moved closer to Harry, despite the battle of power going on. Two more times, their spells collided and then she was close enough to grab hold of Harry. "I'm not your enemy, Ba Wayn," she murmured as she leaned closer to Harry.

Draco felt a momentary stab of jealousy as he saw her pull him against her body and suppressed it. He had no reason to be jealous. Harry wasn't his, after all… not yet anyway.

"Avali," he heard her murmur in Harry's ear and Draco watched as Harry returned to himself, relaxing in her hold. "Sae-an. Now, tell me what happened to you, Ba Wayn. How did you get to this point?"

Draco opened his mouth to answer her, but closed it when she shook her head at him, giving him a warning look. He was surprised when Harry answered her, but his tone was… strange.

"I… was attacked," Harry murmured tonelessly.

"By who?"

"I don't remember," he stepped away from her and looked her in the eye. "They… ambushed me after I came back." He frowned down at her. "I know you…" he murmured before his legs gave out under him. Draco rushed to help the woman as she hissed under Harry's weight. "What happened?" he murmured, bringing a hand up to his head.

"That's what I'd like to know," Draco demanded as he helped Harry to his chair and shot an angry look at the woman who sighed and dropped down on the chair opposite Harry, pushing her hair out of her face. "Just who are you?"

"My name is-"

"Miranda," Harry finished for her, frowning at her. "That's your name, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. Do you remember me now?" she asked, sitting up in surprise.

Harry shook his head. "No, but I've been trying to place the name for a few weeks now."

"How do you know Harry?" Draco demanded, crossing his arms and glaring down at Miranda.

She looked over at Draco with a raised eyebrow. "Sit down, Mr. Malfoy. Your hostility won't do you any good. I know of you. Harry wrote about how infuriating you were when he was at Hogwarts, but do try not to be more of an ass than you can help."

Draco stiffened in anger, but sat down anyway.

"Harry and I know each other from when we were kids, even before he went to Hogwarts. It seems we found each other because of our… abilities. What you saw him do, I taught him. It was one way to keep his magic under his control so he wouldn't get into too much trouble with his uncle… at least at first. Then we just did it because we were having fun with it.

"Every summer, I would come to England and we would pick up where we'd left off. As time grew, so did his problems. He just didn't talk as much as before. Then I stopped coming during the summers. My family here had been killed the year Voldemort came back and I had no way to visit with Harry. But we found a way to keep in touch anyway… through letters and the energy ball that was on Turul.

"A few months ago, Harry came to see me with a request. He wanted me to hide his children from his wife and her friends, but he didn't say much about it when he brought the children over."

"And just where are they?" Draco asked, frowning at the complexity of Harry's plan.

"Obviously, I can't tell you where they are, since Harry wanted them out of harm's way. When I leave, there will be no way to trace where I'm from, since the magic I use is different from yours, as you saw when Harry and I exchanged shots," Miranda said, gesturing towards where Harry and she had been dueling.

"Did I say why I didn't want Ginny to have the children?" Harry asked suddenly.

She looked over at Harry and hesitated for a few seconds, frowning at him. "Are you sure you don't remember this, Harry?"

Harry shook his head, flushing a little at her look. "All I get right now is flashes of battles and pain. Sometimes I get glimpses of people or names, but with no way to put them into context. It's very frustrating."

"I can imagine," Miranda murmured, looking down at her hands. "Harry…" she murmured, frowning suddenly and looked up at the two men. "When you brought me the kids, you asked me to keep something else for you. Do you remember?"

Draco leaned forward in sudden interest. Harry shook his head, frowning in thought. "What was it?"

She hesitated, looking from Harry to Draco and back again. "You had something on your wife you didn't want her to get her hands on, at any cost. You said it was very damaging."

"What was it? Do you have it with you?" Draco asked eagerly.

Miranda was looking at Harry, ignoring Draco completely. She tilted her head to one side as she looked at him. He sat looking at his hands, lost in thoughts, a sad look on his face. She rose and went to kneel in front of him. "Harry? Do you want to go spend some time with your children?" she asked softly.

He looked up at her, startled. "Should I? Won't Ginny realize where they are?"

She could see the hope in his eyes and smiled at him. "No one will notice, Ba Wayn," she told him and stood up, tugging on his hands to pull him to his feet.

Draco was about to protest, but she shot him a warning look over Harry's shoulder and he settled for fuming instead. He watched as she led Harry to the… portal. It was the only way to describe what he thought it was. It rose up to envelop him and he was sucked down into it.

Miranda turned to look at Draco and pulled out a package from her back pocket. "I didn't think he should see these just yet," she told him as she handed it to Draco. "But you seem to genuinely love him and wouldn't hurt him intentionally."

Draco's eyebrows rose at her words and took the package from her. Opening it up, he felt his eyebrows rise even further up into his hairline. The pictures in the package showed Ginny at some meetings, going over plans that were convoluted at best. Others showed Ginny in bed with another man that clearly _wasn't_ Harry… and Draco gasped as he saw a familiar symbol on Ginny's arm, one he'd thought he'd never see again. The Dark Mark!

He looked up at Miranda, who was watching him closely. "Let me know if you lose these. I made copies, just in case. Harry didn't tell me if they were important, but with the way he pushed them at me when he dropped off the kids and told me to keep them safe, I assumed they were."

Draco smiled at her for the first time. "Yes, this will go a long way towards helping Harry in the divorce."

Miranda's eyebrows rose. "So, he _did_ start those, then."

"Why don't we walk for a bit," Draco murmured, gesturing towards the path around them. Miranda nodded pleasantly and followed beside him as he strolled slowly forward. "Tell me, what were those words you used on Harry?" he asked curiously, giving the pictures to Tammy, who was waiting to one side for any order. "Put those in my study, please." Miranda frowned at the house-elf but didn't say anything.

"Oh, that," she murmured with a gentle smile. "When Harry and I were younger, we kind of made up our own language so no one would realize that we were talking about magic. So key words were changed into something only we knew. Like magic became Teis. Ba means my and Wayn means friend, um," she frowned, trying to remember what else she'd said.

"Avali?" Draco asked, watching her out of the corner of his eye. She was a beautiful woman, with her thick dirty blonde hair falling loosely down her back. He was surprised at how strange she looked… like the other man had, but with a slight difference.

"Means relax and Sae-an means good… I think that's all the words I used today. What are you expecting from Harry, ?" she asked bluntly as she walked beside him, looking around at the various flowers Narcissa had planted here.

"Expecting? Nothing he doesn't want to give." It took him a couple steps more to realize she wasn't following anymore. Turning to look at her, he saw one eyebrow had gone up and she'd put her hands in her back pockets. "And please, call me Draco. Mr. Malfoy reminds me of my father."

Her look told him she didn't believe his intentions towards Harry.

He sighed in annoyance. "Yes, I'd like for there to be more. No, I won't push him further than he wants to go. Right now he's going through a divorce and trying to remember everything. His magic is unpredictable and he has some rather wicked nightmares. I think if I were to push him, he'd crack under all that pressure."

"You're right. There's only so much the human mind can handle and process, which is why I didn't think he'd attack me like he did. I'm surprised at the way he did it, though," she murmured as she started walking again.

"How so?"

"Well, he hasn't done those moves in years." She shrugged slightly as she looked down at her feet. "I'm surprised that he even remembered them. It's also a good thing he didn't remember that first move as accurately as he should have. I only got a mild blast instead of the full blast."

"Really? I've never seen them before."

Miranda smiled and Draco was surprised at how much it transformed her from beautiful to radiant. "My grandmother taught them to me when I was three or four. The funny thing is, if she hadn't passed away, I never would have been sent here to England and met Harry."

"How _did_ you meet?" This was a part of Harry's life he'd never heard of. Of course, he didn't know _any_thing about Harry's life as a child.

"I was being bullied by some kids and Harry wasn't far away. Actually, I think one of them was his cousin," she murmured with a frown. "I guess Harry wasn't having it and joined in. I thought for a minute the bigger kid would beat the snot of him, so I hit him with a power ball, like the one Harry hit me with. The big kid turned pale and wet himself. They all ran away."

Draco smiled at that, hoping the big kid _had_ been Harry's cousin. "I see even then he was a Savior," he murmured wryly.

"Yes, he's always had a good sense of fair play. Well, when he saw what I could do, he asked me what I'd done. I was surprised he didn't know how to do that yet and actually thought he was joking at first. When I realized he was serious, I decided to show him that move. That's how we became friends. When his uncle and aunt decided to meddle, we hid the fact that we were friends and I taught him more things."

"And he really still remembers it. I'm surprised." Then a thought occurred to him. "If Harry knew how to do those, why is it that he didn't know he was a wizard when he was first introduced to the wizarding world?"

"Because what I do isn't the same kind of magic you guys do. I do elemental magic and when Harry and I were growing up, we didn't call it magic." She looked over at him, trying to see if he understood what she meant. "By the way, tell Harry that James was having nightmares after he dropped them off. I had to let him sleep with Long Feathers for a while before he stopped having them."

Draco frowned at that, wondering just what Ginny had done to the child to cause that reaction. "Let's go back. Harry should come back before someone realizes he's not in England anymore. Where is he, anyway?"

Miranda laughed and turned to head back towards her bird. "You know very well I can't tell you that. Maybe when all this is over, but not right now. I hope you can be good for Harry, Draco. He needs that in his life. I thought he'd have that with his wife… but then he didn't tell her about me and I began to suspect that maybe deep down, he didn't trust her like he should."

"I guess he knew, even then, that something wasn't right," Draco murmured, frowning in thought. When they neared the sitting area, Harry was already there, eyes bright and alive… more alive than Draco had seen in a long time.

He turned fully to face them and smiled. Moving towards Miranda and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you, Miranda. I needed that."

Miranda returned the hug, smiling in content. "I'm glad, Harry. I was beginning to worry about you when you didn't check in like you said you would."

He pulled back to look at her. "You need to go back, don't you?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yes, Harry. I do and you know it as well as I." She stepped back and looked at him with a sad smile. "Here," she murmured, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a ring and putting it on his finger. "Use this to contact me when you need me or if I can bring your kids back to you." She walked over to stand beside her bird. "When I leave, just bury the pool. It'll turn to water and be absorbed by the earth," she told them as the pool lengthened upwards and the bird flew through to the other side.

Stepping over to the pool, they watched as it enveloped her and sucked her down into it. When it was done, Draco walked over and buried the water puddle like she'd told them to do.

"How was your visit?" he asked as he turned to face Harry.

"Relaxing. I can't believe I ever forgot them. I have to fight Ginny harder. James told me what Ginny wanted to do to him. He's afraid of her."

"Miranda mentioned that he was having nightmares after you dropped them off. Do you remember where they are?" Draco asked, frowning in thought. If Ginny and the others figured out where those kids were, there'd be no stopping her with her plans.

"Actually, no. I couldn't tell where we were. Just that there was lots of trees. They could be anywhere, for all I know. I'm glad she contacted us, this way it gives me something to fight for."

"Good. Now we need to plan our next move. Mr. Westrum will be here after lunch to go over some details about tomorrow." _And I need to give him those pictures_, Draco added to himself.

**Chapter 11 - Returned**

Harry and Draco sat on one side of the court room, listening to the droning sound of Ginny's lawyer talking about how Harry was being unreasonable about letting Ginny visit with her children. "She is, after all, their mother," the lawyer said in a reasonable tone of voice.

"Actually," Mr. Westrum murmured when it looked like the judge was about to agree with Ginny's lawyer. "Some new information has come to light that I think should be considered." With a quick gesture of his wand, the goblin sent the file that had been resting on the table in front of him up to the judge's podium.

"And just what is that?" Ginny's lawyer demanded with a frown, "some kind of trick to discredit my client?"

"In point of fact, it has been _your_ client who has been trying to discredit mine. This information comes from a party that is uninterested with the outcome of this divorce. The person sent this to Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy anonymously. I was simply waiting for the proper time to give it to the judge."

Harry watched the judge's reaction when she opened the file, while Draco watched as Ginny frowned and leaned over to speak to Blaise, who shook his head.

_This is going to be worth watching_, Draco thought, keeping his face carefully bored.

"This court will recess for a few minutes. Please remain in the room," the judge said before she rose to her feet and left the room.

Harry brought his hand up, pretending to rub at his face to hide his reaction. "How long do you think it'll take before something happens?" Harry whispered under his hand.

Draco only shook his head, watching the other side of the room where Ginny was in a heated whispered argument with her group.

Suddenly, the doors flew open and a group of Aurors strode in. "Mrs. Potter, we require you and your friends to follow us," the lead Auror said.

"What's the meaning of this? I'm in the middle of a divorce here," Ginny demanded shrilly as one of the Aurors helped her to her feet while the others arranged themselves around the others. "Did _he_ put you up to this?"

"Mr. Potter has not spoken to us in several weeks. Not since he took his leave of absence. Why? Should he?" the lead Auror asked with a raised eyebrow.

Ginny ground her teeth together, glaring at Harry's side of the room. Someone would pay for this!

Harry eyebrows rose when he heard the Auror's words. "Is that what I do for a living?" he whispered to Draco, too surprised to react to Ginny's look.

Draco nodded, watching the group being led away, frowning in thought. "They should have remembered that when they went after you."

Just then the Judge re-entered the room with a grim look on her face. "Mr. Potter, due to the circumstances, I'm sure it's safe to assume that you have your divorce as well as sole custody of all three of your children. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Your Honour," Harry murmured with a slight inclination of his head. He hadn't wanted it to end like this. His memories were returning daily and he remembered how he and Ginny had once been happy. What had happened to them to get to this point? And why hadn't he noticed sooner? He didn't regret having children, but they should never have been placed in this situation. What was he going to tell them when they asked where their mother was?

He could just see how well that conversation would go_. Sorry kids. You're mother went a little psycho and had to be sent to Azkaban for her actions._ No he didn't think that would go well.

"Let's get back to your place so we can discuss what to do," Harry told Draco. "Thank you for your services, Mr. Westrum. I really appreciate your help with this matter."

"You're welcome, Mr. Potter." With that, Harry and Draco made their way out of the court room.

They found Ron pacing outside in the corridor. When he saw them, he came forward haltingly. "Harry, is it true what I heard?"

"I don't know, Ron. What did you hear?" Harry asked, frowning at his best friend. Was he a part of everything that had happened to him?

"Is Ginny really a… a Death Eater?" he asked, the last two words came out whispered, almost like he was afraid to say it too loudly.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask the Aurors who took her and her friends away. I'm not part of that investigation. I have to go, Ron. I have to get my children." He nodded for Draco to move ahead of him.

"Does this mean you know where they are?" Ron asked in surprise, frowning in thought as he grabbed hold of Harry's arm when he went to pass him. "I thought Ginny had them."

"Actually, neither one of us had them, but they're safe. Ron, can we talk about this some other time. I really have to go," Harry said with an exasperated sigh.

"Sure. Sorry. Can I come visit them soon?"

"We'll see. I'll talk to you later, Ron. How about you come over to the Manor tomorrow for lunch? We can throw a small party for the kids?" Harry asked as he looked over at Draco to see if it was alright with him. Draco was frowning at the thought of a Weasley being on Manor grounds, but remembered that Ron was Harry's best friend, and if he wanted something more than the relationship they were having right now, he'd probably have to put up with this irritating man, so he nodded curtly.

"Tomorrow then, Harry," Ron said with a smile of relief. "I really missed them, you know. If Hermione hadn't died in the war, I imagine I'd have my own to take care of right now."

"Tomorrow," Harry said with a small smile, waving as he walked away.

Once at the Manor, Harry heaved a sigh of relief. Now perhaps he could bring his children home. "Do you think I should contact Miranda today or wait until tomorrow?" he asked with a frown, looking down at the ring Miranda had given him.

"You might as well contact Miranda tonight, if she thinks it's too late where she is, then she can bring them by tomorrow morning and we can make a little party to celebrate their coming home," Draco murmured as he handed his cloak to the house-elf that was waiting by the door.

Harry nodded and walked down the corridor. Draco frowned and wondered if he should go with him. "The gardens may be the best place to call her. If she's going to send the children through, you'll at least have room."

"Thanks, Draco," Harry murmured as he looked back over his shoulder, smiling back at the other man. "For everything."

Draco nodded, unsure what to say. Well, actually he knew what he wanted to say, he just didn't think Harry was ready to hear it at the moment. "Just let me know what's going on so I can tell the house-elves how many people will be at supper."

"I will."

Harry stared at the ring on his finger, trying to remember how to activate it. Had Miranda even said how to use it? He couldn't remember. Ah, yes.

He held it to his mouth. "Miranda."

The ring began to glow slightly and, just like the pool of water, it rose up about four inches high, revealing Miranda's head and shoulders. "Harry? Is anything wrong?" she asked in concern.

"Actually, everything's alright. Ginny and her gang have been arrested. I was wondering if you could bring the children home," Harry said with a relaxed smile.

Miranda frowned at the words. "You mean your house? Or Malfoy Manor?"

Now it was Harry's turn to frown. When had he come to call the Manor his home? Miranda was right. This was Draco's home, not his. He just felt so comfortable here, like he belonged here. "The Manor. I'm going to stay here for a few days longer, to let everything settle down. I don't think the children need to be faced with reporters just now."

"At the moment, they're sleeping. It's very early here. What time is it there?"

"Not quite suppertime," Harry said, confused. Just where _was_ Miranda?

"Should I wake them up or do you want me to wait a few hours?" she asked, looking away from Harry, towards, Harry assumed, where the kids were sleeping. "Or should I wait until it's early in England and late here? They can always take a nap there, but they'd be too wired to go to sleep in a couple of hours. Let's say around eight in the morning, your time?"

Harry was torn. On one hand, he wanted his children with him as soon as possible, but on the other, he didn't want to wake them up just for that. "We may as well wait," he told her with a shrug. "Let me know before you bring them over, so I can stand outside when they come through."

"I will. And Harry?" she said with a relieved smile. "Congratulations on your divorce."

"Thank you. Good night, Miranda. See you in the morning."

"Good night."

With that, her image sank back into the ring and Harry stared up at the sky, felling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Ginny would never hurt the children. They were safe. He smiled in contentment and turned back to the Manor.

Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

"They'll be here tomorrow morning," Harry told Draco as he walked into the sitting room where he, Rebecca and Snape were waiting.

"Why not now?" Rebecca asked, frowning as she watched Harry.

"Miranda said they were sleeping, that it was too early where they are," Harry told her.

Draco's eyebrows rose and he looked over at Snape, whose eyes were narrowed in thought. "That means they're in North America, then," Snape murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "I'd be interested to meet this woman."

"Why do you say that?" Harry asked with a slight frown. North America was a long ways away. No one could travel that far, even through a portal… could they?

"Because she intrigues me," Snape said, misunderstanding the question… perhaps even on purpose? Draco wondered, hiding a smile by taking a sip of his drink.

"Actually, I was wondering why you think they're in America, but that's also a good question. Why would Miranda intrigue you?" Harry asked, feeling slightly protective of his friend.

Snape's eyebrow rose and he snorted. "Because, Mr. Potter, it's still fairly early here, but it's very early where she is. It's a wooded area, and America has some dense forest areas, especially in Canada, where not everything has been cut down and settled. It would make sense, especially since your ex-wife couldn't find the children anywhere on this continent. As for this woman… the very fact that she seems to confound your ex-wife and her cronies is enough to make anyone curious as to what she can do and who she is. Perhaps it was wise of you to have a friend far enough removed from all the happenings here in England."

It was Harry's turn to raise his eyebrows. A compliment? From this man? "Thank you… I think."

Draco chuckled and put his drink down. "Supper is ready, gentlemen and lady," he murmured, holding his hand out to Rebecca, who took it, head held high.

The next morning found Harry pacing the gardens, waiting impatiently for Miranda to contact him. "Harry!" Someone called from behind him, turning around, he waved to Ron when he realized who it was.

"Harry?" This time, the voice came from his hand. Raising it up, he saw Miranda's head and shoulders again. "Put the ring on the ground. I'll use it to bring your children through," she said with a smile.

Harry nodded and placed the ring on the ground just as Ron got closer. "What'cha doing, Mate?"

"Getting my kids back," Harry said, not looking over at his friend, but staring intently at the ring.

"How's a ring going to do that?" Ron asked, tone clearly saying he thought Harry had lost it.

"Just watch, Weasley, and try to pay attention," Draco drawled from beside them. Harry looked over and noticed that Snape and Rebecca were with him.

Ron frowned at Draco, but bit his lip, not wanting to start a fight with Harry's kids coming back. He looked back at the ring and gasped, eyes going wide as the top of the ring expanded upwards and James came running through. He ran straight to Harry, who hugged him close. He was soon joined by Sirius.

Harry looked up, smiling at Miranda, who carried the baby in her arms, smiling gently down at the kids. "Thank you," he murmured, extracting himself from his oldest to go over to claim Lily, who cooed up at Harry.

"You're welcome," Miranda murmured as she looked at the others. "Draco," she greeted with a nod, eyes landing on Ron with a raised eyebrow. "Wow."

Ron frowned at her. "What?" he demanded, brushing a hand through his hair.

"Nothing. It's just that I didn't think I'd ever see hair that color on a man." Snape smirked as the red-head turned as red as his hair. "And with a temper to match, I see," she added with a frown. "At least, that's what Harry said in his letters. You must be Ronald Weasley."

"Yes, it is. This is my daughter, Rebecca," Draco murmured, diverting the words Ron clearly wanted to say. At least someone else was on the receiving end of her words, he thought with a smug smile.

"Hello, Rebecca. How are you?" Miranda asked politely, holding her hand out to the little girl.

"Very well, thank you. Harry said you were pretty," Rebecca said shyly as she shook Miranda's hand, who laughed in surprise at the little girl's words.

"Well, thank you. You're very pretty as well," she told her before she turned to look curiously at Snape. "My name's Miranda," she said as she held out her hand to shake his. She smile and raised an eyebrow when he didn't shake it. "I won't bite, you know," she teased.

That seemed to bring Snape back to his sense and he blinked once before shaking her hand. "Severus Snape."

"Snape?" She looked over at Harry in surprise. "This isn't…" she asked, pointing at Snape, but looking at Harry, who nodded with a smile.

"Be nice, Miranda. Both he and Draco have helped me immensely."

That seemed to surprise her even more and she turned to look at Snape. "Really? Well, then, thank you for helping your least favorite student, Professor," Miranda murmured with an amused smile. Her smile grew when Snape's eyebrow rose at that. So she knew who he was, did she?

She turned her attention back to Draco. "I hope you have something to eat. The kids insisted that they could wait for food until they got back to Harry."

Draco bowed slightly, and motioned behind him where the house-elves were setting up some tables. "I figured they would be. Would you care to join us?"

Miranda frowned and looked back at the ring. "Yes, I think I will. Just give me a minute." They watched her walk back towards the ring and pick it up. "Long Feather, I'll be back in a couple of hours. I just want to make sure the children are settled before I leave."

"Sure," the man they could see in the ring drawled, a knowing glint in his eyes before flicking behind her. "Take your time. I'll take care of things for a while."

"You are _such_ a brat," she muttered, frowning darkly before the image sank back into the ring, laughter floating back to everyone. She turned to find Snape standing behind her, looking at the ring in her hand. "My older brother thinks he knows what's best for me," she explained with a disgusted sigh.

Snape's eyebrow rose at that and he watched as she straightened up. "What kind of magic is that?"

"Elemental, actually. Funny, Draco asked me the same question. So how are you handling being around Harry?" she asked in amusement.

Snape sneered as he looked over at the man in question, who was leading his brood over to the table with the food as they recounted their adventures with Miranda. "He isn't as insufferable as he was as a teenager," he admitted when it looked like she was waiting for an answer.

She laughed gently at that admission. "I'm sure that's true. Shall we join them, Mr. Snape?"

"Please call me Severus," he murmured, trying to look at her without making it obvious. She really was a beautiful woman. "And I'd actually like to ask you some questions before we join them."

"What would you like to know?" she asked, a little weary.

"What do you do for a living?" he asked as he motioned for her to sit on one of the chairs beside them.

"I take care of magical creatures. Are you still teaching Potions?"

"Thankfully, no. I'm now Headmaster. How's the weather in Canada?" he asked, watching her carefully. If he hadn't, he would've missed the look of surprise in her eyes, before it was hidden. She would've made a great Slytherin.

"What makes you think I live in Canada?"

"Please, Mrs..?"

"Just call me Miranda and it's Miss. I don't stand on formalities."

"Miranda, please don't insult my intelligence. You've given enough clues to Mr. Potter and myself for me to deduce you're located somewhere in America."

"Such as?" she asked as she stopped, her arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"Mr. Potter said that when he spoke to you the first time, he could see trees all around you and the same with when he visited his children. It stands to reason it would be Canada, since they have the most forested areas around. Then there was the time difference. He said it was really early where you were and here it was suppertime. That limits it even further to North America. There's also very little people living in certain Provinces of Canada, which gives you plenty of space to take care of magical creatures. Have I missed anything?"

She was silent for a few minutes as she watched him closely, wondering how to answer. Snape had to give her credit. None of her inner turmoil showed on her face. "I'd rather not talk about where I'm from until I'm sure Harry and his children are safe."

"So you don't think it's over?" he asked with a frown. She was right, of course. It had been too easy.

"No, and neither does our Seer. He said something was wrong, that not all the sickness had been lifted yet. I just didn't know how to tell Harry," she murmured as she looked over at the family laughing at the table. "And it'll be soon."

"How do you know that?" Snape asked in surprise, looking over at Draco and Rebecca, wondering if he should warn them.

She shook her head and frowned slightly. "I don't know. It's just a feeling right now. Nothing concrete, but still there, in the currents," she murmured softly, eyes closed. For a moment, Snape thought she was in a kind of trance, but then she sighed and rubbed at her face. "It's complicated."

"Are you a Seer, then?" he asked, frowning at the group.

Miranda laughed. "No, Severus, but I can read the subtle changes in the elemental currents. Not everything is as it seems here. The danger hasn't passed just yet. It's almost like it's holding its breath in anticipation of something."

Severus's frown deepened and he rose to his feet. "Shall we join them at breakfast?" he asked, holding his hand out_. To help her to her feet, of course_, he told himself, but hid a smile when she accepted.

Such a small gesture shouldn't please him as much as it did, but it did anyway and he couldn't explain it to himself.

**Chapter 12 - Betrayed**

Breakfast had been done over an hour and the children, after a shy start, were playing a game of tag around where the adults were sitting, talking amicably. Harry suspected it was because of Miranda that Snape and Draco were behaving around Ron. He would catch one or the other frowning or stop in mid-sneer as they would catch themselves before a retort could slip by.

It was actually amusing to watch.

He couldn't tell if Miranda was catching it as well and ignoring it, or if she just wasn't seeing it. He rather thought it was the former and not the latter.

"So, Harry," Ron asked, leaning back in his chair. "What are you planning now?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders as he looked down at the sleeping child in his arms. "I think I need to spend some time with my children before I return to work. I guess my next task is going to be getting a babysitter for them. Maybe a live-in nanny, considering the odd hours I keep at work."

"That might be wise," Draco murmured, nodding in agreement, wondering when he should begin to court Harry, or if it was wise to do so. For reasons he couldn't explain, he looked over at Miranda, who nodded her head at him. Was she telling him to take the chance? Could she read his mind?

Miranda only smiled slightly before turning to face Ron, who was now speaking, of all things, about Quidditch and how it was scheduled to begin play in a couple of days.

Snape watched the interaction between Miranda and Draco and frowned. Just what was going on there? Then he noticed her eyes glazed over at the mention of a game she probably had never heard of before today. He could sympathize with her. He had no liking for the game in particular.

The friendly and relaxed atmosphere was suddenly broken by a nearby statue blowing apart and the children screaming.

All the adults reacted on instinct. Harry clutched the baby closer while Draco and Miranda dove for the children who were running towards them. Draco was surprised when the next couple of shots were deflected against a shield. One that protected himself, the children and Miranda.

When he looked up, he realized why that was, as Miranda was standing with her hands up, sweating slightly. "Get the children out of here," she told him, as two more shots landed against the shield and her knees nearly buckled. James was clutching at Miranda.

"Alban!" Draco yelled out. The house-elf appeared instantly. "Take the baby from Harry, then come back for Rebecca. Get the other elves to come for Sirius and James."

"Yes, Master Malfoy," Alban squeaked, cringing as a few more blasts were heard around them. He headed directly for Harry and took the baby from him before vanishing. Draco was confident that whoever was attacking them would never find the children, even if they completely destroyed the Manor.

He concentrated on the fight, dimly noticing that Snape was fighting his way towards James and Miranda. Draco wondered why she wasn't fighting back, but then he assumed she had her hands full with the shield.

Four more blasts landed on the shields and Miranda fell to her knees, James still clinging to her. Draco saw a house-elf try to pry the boy from her, but the boy refused, screaming something he couldn't quite make out over the sound of the fighting.

With the next blast, they could almost feel the shield break. The next one hit Miranda and James directly, almost like it was meant to. When the dust cleared, they could see the three of them lying still on the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" Draco heard Harry exclaim from behind him. He turned just in time to see Ron cast a spell at Harry before dust and debris flew all around them. Ron? What the hell was going on here? He wondered as he covered his eyes, trying to see what was happening.

Then as suddenly as it had started, the attack stopped.

Draco could hear Snape coughing nearby and he wondered just what had happened? Were the rest alright? And what the hell had happened with Weasley? He made his way over to where he thought Snape was. The dust was starting to clear and he could see the silhouette of the older man standing ahead of him.

"Severus?" he called out, coughing as he inhaled dust.

"Here." When Draco was close enough, he understood why Snape simply stood there. Where James and Miranda had been, there was just the body of the house-elf that had been trying to save the boy. Alban popped in and looked down at his fellow creature and made a sound of disgust before looking up at Draco.

"What about Potter?" Snape asked as he looked around the grounds.

There was no sign of either Harry or Ron except for Harry's wand, which lay on the ground. "Ron betrayed Harry," Draco murmured, still unable to believe it. He was Harry's best mate. Why would he betray him like that?

Snape frowned. "Did Potter tell you anything about where he'd been held before his attack?"

"Only that it had looked like a cave. Does that mean anything to you?" he asked, trying to remember the one time Harry had talked about it after one of his many nightmares.

"I think I may have an idea of where they are, but we need to hurry."

"Alban are you going to take care of your kin?" Draco asked when the house-elf made no move to remove the body.

"He is not of this house, Master," Alban told him as he looked down at the body again with a look and sniff of disdain.

"Whose house-elf is he, then?"


	5. Chapters 13 to 15

Beta'd by Bubba and Lady Katye

**Chapter 13 – A New Dark Lord?**

Harry only became aware of his surroundings slowly. It was cold, damp and hard. Where the hell was he? Was he in a cave? What had happened to him?

Then he remembered.

Everything.

All his memories were back! He was ecstatic. He had everything back. Including…

Ron had betrayed him!

To the enemy!

Where were his children?

He knew Lily was safe. He remembered the house-elf taking her from him and Apparating away with her not long after the fight had begun. But what about Sirius? And James? What had happened to the others? He remembered hearing James screaming something, knew he'd been with Miranda. He'd even felt the shield go down. That had been when Ron had turned on him.

Then nothing.

Where was Draco..?

At this he paused in his thoughts. Where had that come from? Why did it bother him to think that Draco might also be caught?

He heard footsteps coming closer and tried to remain as still as possible, wanting to catch whoever it was by surprise. If he could just get away…

"I know you're awake, Potter. There's no use pretending otherwise," he heard from in front of him.

He knew that voice.

But it couldn't be!

Harry frowned and opened his eyes, blinking several times to bring them into focus as he looked at the dark blur in front of him. The blur finally became a person… one he'd never thought he'd see again. "Hermione?" he asked, confused as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. Was he dead, then?

"Good. Your memories are back. I'd hate for my Lord and husband to kill you before they returned," she sneered nastily. "We want you at your best when He returns."

"What?" Harry asked, frowning at the woman he'd been told had been killed a year before the end of the war. "Where have you been? What happened after you were caught?"

Hermione laughed humorlessly. "Why would you care now, Harry? Where were _you_? I waited for my _friends_to rescue me. What a joke you turned out to be. My Lord rescued me from his minions, promised me I'd never be hurt again if I joined him. At least he kept his promise… until you killed him."

"But, Hermione, we were told you were killed in the raid," Harry said, not understanding how this could be. Why would Dumbledore lie to him like that? And then he realized why. "Dumbledore didn't want us to go after you," he whispered in horror.

Hermione laughed at him. "Maybe it was for the best, Harry," she murmured before she snapped her fingers. "Bring them."

His arms were suddenly wrenched back and he tried to fight free, but their hold was stronger than his strength at the moment.

Someone pressed a wand tip against his back. "Give me an excuse, _Potter_," he heard from behind him.

_Crabbe_, Harry thought as he stopped struggling. He remembered how much Crabbe liked to be physical with his opponents.

"How are you going to bring him back, Hermione? We destroyed all the Horcruxes," Harry asked before they could leave the room, curious despite the situation.

Hermione turned with a smile to look at him and he saw the young woman he'd known and loved in school. "Not all of them. Before we were married, I told Him what you were doing and how many of them you'd found. My Lord created another one, just in case. And she's standing right in front of you."

Harry looked at her, stunned. "So why wait this long to bring Him back?"

"I needed the perfect body for My Lord to use as his own. I found it was poetic justice to use someone you would hesitate to kill. Like one of your own children?" Hermione said with a cruel satisfied smile.

Horror filled him at her logic. She was right. He _would_hesitate to kill one of his own children. She had thought this through very well. "And Ginny? When did you turn her to your… cause? How?" he asked angrily.

"Ginny? That was easy. She hated your job, what with the odd hours, gone at different times –whether it was day or night –, not knowing if you would come home in one piece… if you came home at all. She was tired of being alone with the children. You didn't even notice when she was gone." Hermione smirked at him, an eyebrow raised.

Harry frowned, trying to think back. Yes. There had been that week Ginny had taken off on a vacation by herself. A retreat, she'd said. "She wasn't even in England that week," Harry told her angrily, but now he wondered if she'd left at all.

Hermione laughed at his naiveté. "Actually, she never left. We intercepted her before she took the plane. And now she's ours."

"She was arrested yesterday, and all because of you," Harry murmured as it began to make sense. He had never taken those photos. He knew that for sure.

"Of course she was. Who do you think sent you those photos in the first place? I knew you were suspicious of Ginny. When you threw her out of the house, we tried to get James but even she couldn't get into the house. So I had to do something drastic. But then you had to go and hide all three of the children on me and delay My Lord's plans. And on top of that, involve someone who has no dealings with our Wizarding community." Hermione gave a mirthless laugh as she thought of all the trouble Harry had caused her. "It was a good plan, getting the children out of England. So tell me. Where _did_ you send them?"

"I don't know," Harry told her honestly and watched as her face changed from polite amusement to anger in seconds.

"Fine, don't tell me. Bring them," she ordered as she turned and walked out of the room, confident that her minions would obey.

Them? Who else did she have?

He understood quickly who she meant as one of the men led an unresisting and vacant eyed Ronald out of the room.

Imperius curse.

He should have known. It explained everything, but Harry didn't have time to think as they led him out after Ron. What would happen to them now? There would be no stopping Hermione in her plot to resurrect Voldemort and Voldemort would not hesitate to kill him this time.

Voldemort _would_ win.

When Harry was dragged into a room, he didn't know if he should have been relieved or shocked at the sight that greeted him.

In the center of the room was a rock shaped like an altar, roughly three-feet high and long enough for an adult to lie on, which was where they had placed Miranda. She lay with her hands tied on the edge of the altar and at her sides, her hair hanging over one edge, feet over the other, and she was unconscious.

James was sitting on her stomach with a wand in his hands, which lay on her chest, his eyes closed with a bubble surrounding them. What was funny about the sight was all the Death Eaters scrambling to get through the barrier.

"What's the meaning of this?" Hermione demanded angrily.

The nearest Death Eater bowed to her. "When we brought the boy in here, no one realized he'd lifted a wand. He ran over to the woman and was up on the altar before we could stop him. Then he did this," he said, gesturing to the shield bubble.

"And just _whose_wand is that?" she demanded, fury sparking from her eyes.

The Death Eater flinched and pointed to a man pacing angrily in front of the barrier.

"Macnair!" she snapped.

The man stiffened and walked quickly over, bowing. "Mistress?"

"Tell me how your incompetence gave the boy your wand?" she asked sweetly.

Macnair swallowed thickly, knowing he would be punished for this. "He must have taken it when he fell against me earlier, when I was bringing him here, Mistress."

With a flick of her wand, Macnair went flying to a nearby pillar to which he was tied instantly. "Our lord will deal with you when He gets here," she told him before she turned to look at Harry. "How does it feel to know your son is a kleptomaniac?" she asked him with a smug smile.

"In this case?" Harry asked with an innocent look. "Like cheering 'way to go James'." He watched the smug look vanish from her face before she turned away with an angry snarl to look at a nearby Death Eater.

"_You_. Come here," she ordered sharply. The Death Eater rushed over to her, abandoning his useless efforts to get to James. "Is everything else ready?"

"Yes, Mistress. The only thing left to do is to give the boy the potion and the sacrifice. We already gave the other potion to the woman."

Sacrifice? Now Harry understood why Miranda was there. Voldemort wanted to kill him, so they needed someone else to sacrifice to take over James' body. "Hermione, tell me something. How will it feel to be married to a five-year-old?"

Hermione smiled. "That's what an ageing potion is for. My Lord will become whatever age he wants to be and then you'll be dead," she told him without looking at him, surveying the problem before her, eyes narrowed in thought.

He needed to help James out, but what could he do? They either had his wand or had left it back at the manor. Either way, it didn't help him at the moment. He _could_do wandless magic, but he didn't know what Hermione would do if he failed. He could try what Miranda had taught him, but he needed his hands in order to do some of the things she'd shown him when they were kids… if he even got them right in the first place.

He watched as Hermione raised her wand and pointed it at the two people on the table. "_Accio Macnair's wand_." It twitched violently and flew out of James' hand to Hermione's.

Harry watched and held his breath, but the barrier didn't come down like Hermione had expected. So Miranda _had_taught James some things while she had him. How long could he last?

"_Finite Incantatum_," Hermione said, frowning. Nothing happened. The barrier didn't come down. With a snarl, she turned to Harry. "What kind of magic is that?" she demanded.

"I don't know. I never could figure it out," he lied smoothly. He'd gotten better at lying with the war. He'd had to learn in order to survive with his sanity intact. He watched her as her eyes narrowed, trying to tell if he was lying to her or not. The wand tip pressed harder into his back in warning. "It's her kind of magic, Hermione. Not ours."

"How do I get around it?" she demanded.

"Again, I don't know."

Hermione turned to look at the two on the altar, thinking furiously. "Tie them to the pillars over there," she ordered, pointing at the pillars closest to the altar as she walked closer to the barrier. She reached out a hand. _Probably wondering what would happen_, Harry thought to himself. When she touched it, nothing happened. It was as if she were touching a solid wall.

"Nott, you said the woman did something like this during the fight?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, Mistress," Nott answered promptly.

"How long did she last?"

"Long enough for Malfoy to take Goyle out. The shield took about a dozen shots before it started to buckle."

"I want you to start firing from the other side. I'll fire from this side. _Don't_hit the boy."

"Yes, Mistress," Nott murmured and hurried to the spot she wanted him in, wand aimed in front of James' body, where he would miss hitting him when the shield collapsed.

**Chapter 14 - Unexpected Company**

Snape looked over at Draco as they readied themselves to go rescue Harry, James and Miranda. Of all people for him to help, Snape would never have thought it would be Harry Potter. What had happened in the weeks he'd helped that boy recover from what someone had done to him?

"Just remember not to go charging in there without thinking," he told the younger man, and watched as Draco turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Severus, you seem to forget that I'm a Slytherin, not a Gryffindor. Unlike Potter, I don't fancy getting myself into something I can't get out of," Draco told him with a snort.

"Just making sure. You've been hanging around Potter for a while. I was starting to wonder if you might have picked up on some of his… tendencies."

"Let's just go," Draco said with a slight shake of his head. Snape watched as Draco slid Harry's wand next to his in the holster on his wrist.

Harry watched as Hermione and Nott took their places on each side of the bubble protecting his son. He had to do something! He couldn't just let them hurt James!

He struggled against the rope Crabbe had used, but it held tightly. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated on the spell to release the ropes. His wandless magic had become better over the years since he began working as an Auror, but he didn't know if it would work well enough for him now.

He bit back a growl of anger when nothing happened.

Looking at where Hermione and Nott were shooting spells at James, he tried again, hoping it would work so he could help his son. This time, he felt the rope loosen slightly. Was it enough for him to get him free?

James gasped in pain as the shield let go and Harry watched as he collapsed slightly on top of Miranda.

Hermione sauntered over to him, anger flashing in her eyes. "Did you really think you could stop us from our goal, boy?" she asked as she rounded the altar.

James watched her, fear clear in his eyes. Harry wanted to help him but didn't want to give himself away just yet.

Hermione reached out and grabbed him by the shirt. "No more delays," she murmured as she hauled him off the altar and shoved him at Nott. "Get everyone in here so we can begin."

"We might want to make it fast, too," Nott said as he took hold of James' wrist.

Hermione turned to look at him, eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Nott swallowed hard. "When we gave the woman the potion you told us to give her, she spit most of it out and began to choke. We gave her a second dose since we didn't think she'd had any of the first phial. She started to convulse for a few seconds before she stopped breathing. We had to work hard to revive her. Her breathing's been erratic ever since. We don't know how long she'll last."

Hermione's eyes shot angry sparks before she controlled her anger. "And you're only telling me this _now_?" she demanded angrily, sparks practically shooting from her. "Get everyone here.

Draco and Snape Apparated inside what looked like a cave. "Do you really think they'd use some of the Dark Lord's old hideouts?" Draco whispered as he looked down the corridor, wondering if they were in the right place. It looked deserted to him.

"Only one way to find out. I'll go down this way, you go that way. Both corridors connect to a central chamber. Stay hidden until we know what we're up against," Snape murmured as he looked down the other end of the corridor. Draco rolled his eyes at the warning. "Be safe."

"You, too." He watched as Snape walked down the corridor before he headed in the opposite direction. He needed to save Harry so he could talk to him, see if what he was feeling towards the other man was real… and if Harry felt the same way about him. During the divorce proceedings, he hadn't wanted to pressure Harry, so he'd reined in his feelings. Now he needed to know.

Walking down the corridor, he was surprised when he didn't meet up with anyone. Were they even in the right place? Hearing a strange noise, Draco stopped and pushed himself against the rock wall, listening intently.

"Hurry up. She won't wait forever and you know what'll happen if she does," he heard from ahead. She? Who where they talking about?

"It doesn't matter how long she waits. She'll find a reason to punish us anyway," a second person grumbled.

He heard two sets of feet walk away from him and sighed in relief. At least that confirmed that they were in the right place, anyway. Waiting another few minutes, he pushed away from the wall and followed the corridor, hoping it would lead him to wherever those men were going.

Harry held on to the rope, hoping no one would notice. He needed a distraction, but what?

He looked over at James who glared at the floor instead of at Hermione, who stood beside him, Nott's hand still tight around his wrist.

Then he looked over at Miranda. She didn't look too good. He could see the slight trembling in her body, and there was a fine sheet of sweat on her pale face.

Suddenly she began to choke and cough as her stomach tried to get rid of the potion they'd forced her to take. The man closest to her managed to roll her onto her side before she could choke on the vomit. Harry wrinkled his nose at the smell that wafted to him, nearly gagging, making him wonder just what had been in that potion they'd given her.

When Miranda was done, the man rolled her over onto her back again, but she was shaking even more than before and Harry was really worried about her. What would the potion do to her? The man waved his wand and the mess vanished.

People were making their way into the chamber now, all masked and cloaked. Now would probably be a good time for a distraction but… -

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a light touch on his hand but forced himself to remain still. What was going on now?

"Harry," he heard Draco whisper from behind the pillar. "What's going on? And why is Weasley here?"

"They want to sacrifice Miranda to bring Him back. Imperious curse," Harry whispered back, being careful not to let anyone see him speak. "What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you, of course," Draco told him as he pressed Harry's wand into his hand. "Be ready to act when the distraction hits."

And with that, Harry felt Draco move away from the pillar. Just what would be the distraction? How would he know what it was?

He watched as they dragged James into position, a knife now resting on the altar. How were they going to get out of this alive?

When the ceremony began, the silence was almost deafening, which was probably why the explosion that rocked the room sounded so loud. Several men in the center of the room lay on the floor, either dead or unconscious, while others ran out of the way, confused by what had just happened.

Harry let go of the ropes and held his wand out at the ready. He quickly turned to Ron. "Finite Incantatum," he said and watched as Ron's eyes became focused. He blinked as the Imperius curse's hold left him.

"Wha-"

"Never mind right now. I need you to protect James and Miranda," Harry ordered as he bent down and picked up a discarded wand. "Here, use this wand."

"Right," Ron said as he took it from Harry and made his way behind the altar where James was hiding, having been released by Nott in the confusion. Miranda still lay on the altar, unaware of the danger she was in.

Harry turned his attention to the fighting, ducking spells aimed at him, thought he figured they were spells that hadn't hit their intended targets and were just flying randomly around the room. It took him a few minutes to realize that two of the figures in the melee were Snape and Draco, the telltale white hair giving Draco away as he fired spell after spell.

He fought his way to them, hoping to help them. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Hermione also making her way towards them, her look murderous.

The next few minutes seemed to blur into an incoherent mess. One second they were fighting the Death Eaters and the next there was a high pitched scream. Harry saw a streak of green light flash by his right shoulder and hit something – or someone – behind him. When he turned around, Hermione was flying through the air.

Everyone stilled for a few seconds, unable to believe what was happening… and the Death Eaters took advantage of the surprise to Apparate away. Bodies littered the floor, either dead or severely injured. The only sound left were the moans of those injured, Harry, Snape and Draco's panting and someone sobbing.

Harry looked at his two unlikely allies to make sure they weren't injured. Draco bore a cut on one cheek and Snape remained uninjured. Then he turned around , looking for his son. Quickly, he made his way to the altar and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Ron, Miranda and James unharmed.

James launched himself at his father, sobbing in relief.

"It's alright. Everything will be fine," Harry murmured soothingly, holding him close. He looked over at Ron. "How's Miranda?" He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned slightly, but relaxed when he saw it was only Snape.

The older man was frowning. "What happened to the woman?" he asked as he came closer, crouching beside her. He reached out and checked her pulse, his frown deepening when he felt how weak it was.

"They gave her a potion," Harry told him, pushing James away a little so he could bend down beside Snape. "They didn't seem to care what it would do to her. From what they were saying, they gave it to her a second time after she tried to spit it out. Apparently she stopped breathing at some point after that."

Snape looked over at him in surprise. "They doubled the dosage? Without knowing how her physiology would react with something that's foreign to her? What kind of potion was it?"

"I don't know. No one said."

"I kept this," James told them as he held out a phial. "Miranda had it in her hand when I hopped up on the altar earlier. Will this help you sir?"

Snape took it from the boy and tipped it close to his nose, sniffing delicately. "Let's take her back to the manor. I might be able to make an antidote, after a bit of testing," Snape murmured as he pocketed the phial. "Ron can help Draco take Hermione's body back with us."

"Hermione's body?" Ron asked, eyes going round. "What's he talking about Harry?"

"I'll explain things once we get to the manor and I'm sure the rest of the kids are alright. Help Draco, please. I have to take James back to the manor and go to the ministry to report this."

Ron pressed his lips together and Harry was sure it was to stop some kind of protest, but he nodded and rose to his feet.

**Chapter 15 - Going Home**

"Hermione's body?" Ron asked, eyes going round in surprise. "What's he talking about, Harry?"

"I'll explain things once we get to the manor and I'm sure the rest of the kids are alright. Help Draco, please. I have to take James back to the manor and go to the Ministry to report this."

Ron pressed his lips together and Harry was sure it was to stop some kind of protest, but he nodded and rose to his feet.

Harry stood before the Minister of Magic, waiting for the man's reaction to his report. "Are you sure you stopped his comeback?" Scrimgeour asked, clearly shaken at the prospect of having to deal with Voldemort again.

"As sure as I can be, sir. What I do know is that there are still Death Eaters out there that we haven't caught yet, even those that were in that room tonight. And one of them carried off Hermione's body." I _hope_ , he added to himself. He just hoped that what had happened to him didn't happen to Hermione. If it did, she would come back to get her revenge on him and his family… and Draco would be dragged into this mess the time.

Not good.

Scrimgeour sighed tiredly. "Thank you, Harry. I'm sure you're anxious to get back to your family. Take a few weeks to get settled in and take care of details."

"Thank you, sir," Harry murmured before leaving the room. He really wanted to get back to Malfoy Manor as soon as he could. He needed to check on his kids, Miranda… he even wanted to make sure Draco was alright.

He frowned as he realized his thoughts were actually going to Draco. Shaking his head, he pushed the thought away until he could think about it without interruption.

It didn't take him long to make his way to one of the fireplaces and Flooed to the manor. He was attacked when he stepped out of the fireplace. Looking down he saw two brown-haired heads attached to his legs. "James, Sirius, what are you doing?" he asked with a laugh.

"You're back," Sirius mumbled through Harry's clothes.

Harry laughed and picked him up. "Yes, Sirius, I'm back. Did you really think I wouldn't be?" Sirius buried his head on Harry shoulder and nodded. "Well, I'm back now. Come on, James. Let's go find the others."

"Alright, Dad. Everyone's waiting in the living room. When are we going home? Where's Mum?"

Harry cringed inside. He knew he'd have to answer that question eventually, he just hadn't thought it would be now. "Mum did some bad things and now she has to… help others to make up for it. As for home, I want to wait a little while longer. It's easier for people to find me here than if we changed houses. Is that alright?"

James looked up at him and tipped his head a little to one side, biting his lip as he thought about it. "I suppose." Taking hold of Harry's hand, he led them to the living room. Draco stood beside the fireplace with Rebecca leaning against the wall beside him. To one side of the room, a house-elf hovered around the play area they had fashioned for Lily, who was playing with some toys they'd found.

"How did it go?" Draco asked, turning to face the door.

Harry shrugged as he put Sirius down on the couch. "Don't worry," he murmured when Sirius clung to him. "I'm not going anywhere." Sirius let go, but Harry knew it was with great reluctance. "As well I expected. Scrimgeour didn't like the report, but also hopes it's over. Too many of them got away tonight. What I'd like to know is who took Hermione's body and why."

"I agree. What do you plan to do now?"

"I don't know yet. Mind if we stay here a while longer?" Harry asked, rubbing his face tiredly. It had, after all, been a long day.

"Not at all. Besides, I don't think Severus would like it too much if you took Miranda out of his care."

Harry frowned as he realized he hadn't even asked about her. "How is she?"

"We're not quite sure yet. Severus is trying to stabilize her, but there's no telling what they gave her or what effect it'll have. Only time will tell."

Harry shook his head, wondering what else to do. "Well, it's late and you boys need sleep. Time for bed."

Both boys started to protest but one look at Harry's face changed their minds. "Yes, Dad," they said in unison before leaving the room. When Harry turned to go pick up Lily, the hovering house-elf already had her in his arms and, with a smile to Harry, Apparated away.

Harry blinked in surprise. Well that was interesting. He turned to look at Draco and nodded. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Draco murmured and watched as Harry left the room.

With a roll of her eyes, she pushed off the wall, Rebecca walked past Draco with a disgusted sigh. Draco's eyebrow rose but didn't say anything about it. "Goodnight, Rebecca."

"Goodnight, Father."

Harry stopped by Miranda's room the next morning. He'd spent most of the night tossing and turning, worrying about Miranda, or was kept awake by dreams of being chased or attacked. He was tired, but he was used to that. He pushed it back, knowing his kids needed him to be strong for them.

Snape was there.

Harry didn't think the older man had had any more sleep than he had. "Any changes?" he asked softly when he was close enough. He didn't want to wake Miranda up. She needed the rest.

Snape sighed and shook his head. "They gave her a potion to keep her asleep along with another potion that I still haven't identified. They shouldn't have acted this way. I don't understand it."

"Could it be because her metabolism is different from ours? I remember once, not long after I started Hogwarts, I gave her a healing salve when she cut herself. Instead of helping, it burned her."

Snape looked up at him in surprise. "That might be. It's rare, but possible. I'll have to check." He rose to his feet. "You say it burned her?"

Harry nodded. "Her older brother rushed her to the hospital." At Snape's blank look, he sighed. "The same thing as St Mungo's. She ended up with second degree burns and it left a slight scar. It's barely noticeable on her left arm."

Snape looked at her left arm and sure enough, there was a slight scar. His eyes narrowed as he realized what that meant. It severely limited what he could and couldn't do. "She's stable for now, but it's still too early to say if she'll pull through. And if she does, there's no telling how she'll recover."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Harry asked hopefully, sitting at the foot of the bed.

Snape shook his head. "There's nothing anyone can do right now, but wait." He turned and walked out of the room. _Probably to get some rest_, Harry thought before turning to look at Miranda. Suddenly he felt little hands on his knee. He looked down to see James standing beside him.

"Will she be alright, Dad?"

"I hope so," Harry murmured, running his fingers through the boy's hair. "Let's go get breakfast."


	6. Chapters 16 to 18

Beta'd by Bubba and Lady Katye

**Chapter 16 – Family Reunion?**

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Harry asked hopefully, sitting at the foot of the bed.

Snape shook his head. "There's nothing anyone can do right now, but wait." He turned and walked out of the room. _Probably to get some rest_, Harry thought before turning to look at Miranda. Suddenly he felt little hands on his knee. He looked down to see James standing beside him.

"Will she be alright, Dad?"

"I hope so," Harry murmured, running his fingers through the boy's hair. "Let's go get breakfast."

It was a couple of days before Miranda finally woke. Harry sighed a little in relief when she finally opened her eyes. She was weak, he knew, but there was nothing he could do for her.

Snape seemed to be spending a lot of time with her, but he knew that was only so the older man could gauge the effects the potions had caused… though he was having suspicions that something else might be behind all the visits.

And the only one who seemed fooled was Snape.

Harry found that funny.

Draco approached him as he sat lost in thought. "Mind if I join you?" he asked politely.

"Not at all. What's up?" he asked, watching his children play with Rebecca in the garden. He was amazed that when she was by herself with grown-ups, she seemed older than she was, but when she was with other kids, she was just as she was – a kid.

"Mr. Westrum sent some papers for you to sign. Said there was no rush. Especially since Ginny's in Azkaban. Also you have a few letters from the Weasleys." Draco placed them on the table beside Harry.

"Ah," Harry said with a nod. He'd wondered when they'd be coming. He didn't really look forward to reading them, though he knew one of them was likely to be from Mrs. Weasley. Picking up the first one, he decided he might as well get it over with.

Opening it, he shook his head as he saw that he was right. Mrs. Weasley had indeed written to him and of course she began by berating him over Ginny's incarceration. Like it was his fault she'd joined the Death Eaters in the first place.

_Harry,_

_How could you do that to Ginny? After all she's done for you? She's the mother of your children. How could you betray us like this? Isn't it enough that you took and hid her children from her? Or kicked her out of her home?_

_We need to talk and I need to see my grandchildren. Everyone will be here tonight for supper. Bring them over then so we can all visit._

_Molly_

"I can't say I'm surprised," Harry muttered, throwing the letter on the table and picking up the next one.

"May I read it?" Draco asked, wondering just what the older woman could say to upset Harry.

Harry gestured for him to go ahead as he read. Letter after letter, seemed to be along the same line. Except for one.

George.

He wasn't sure if it was because George knew what he'd gone through that made him sympathetic to Harry's plight or that Harry had been there when Fred had died and comforted George when he needed it. Harry was glad that, in his letter, George was going to be there to help him.

He heard Draco snort as he dropped the letter on the table. "You'd think you were the one to put the Dark Mark on Ginny's arm. I don't envy your visit tonight."

"Gee thanks," Harry muttered as he rubbed his forehead. "I guess they have a right to see the kids. They _are_, after all, family."

_This is going to be a_ long _night_, Harry thought as he made sure the boys were clean and dressed properly. Any criticism from the Weasley matriarch would only compound the fight he knew the family would put up. He also had the feeling that they were going to pull something tonight that was to involve the children.

He was determined not to let them try anything. He might have to put up with their nagging, for the kids, but he wasn't going to make it difficult for them to enjoy visiting family.

He expected Molly to pick on the fact that Ginny was at Azkaban. That was a given. What else were they going to pull on him? That's what he was worried about.

Downstairs, he looked the boys over one more time before taking both their little hands in his, holding Lily in his other arm. Apparating was faster and the kids wouldn't get dirty like they would if they Flooed.

Less ammunition for the Weasleys to use.

He had an idea what Molly wanted. He just hoped she wouldn't ask.

"I want you to behave tonight and listen to what I say, alright?" Harry asked them.

"Yes, Dad," they said in unison. Maybe they could sense something was up. Once second they were in the Manor foyer and the next they were outside the Burrow.

Molly obviously had been watching because she rushed outside to hug the boys with a big smile on her face. Harry smiled at them as they began to talk all at once. This was something he couldn't deny his kids. He'd grown up without family who loved him, he didn't want the same for them.

"Hello, Molly. How are you?" he asked gently as he got closer.

"Harry," Molly murmured before she hugged him, though he felt her hesitation, almost like she was going through the motions of welcoming him. He felt a sharp pang of regret for the ease they'd once had. "I'm alright. How are you guys holding up?"

"The kids miss Ginny, but it's to be expected." Harry looked at Molly's face. "I hope you know I didn't want this, Molly. No matter what our problems were, I loved Ginny."

Molly sighed and relaxed in Harry's arms. "I know, Harry. You're not the kind of person to try and do things like this."

"Do you want to hold Lily?" he asked with a tentative smile on his face, hoping all would be alright between them now. Molly smiled and held out her arms for the baby who cooed at Molly.

Inside, Harry watched as the boys ran from one person to another, loudly greeting their uncles and grandfather. All the Weasleys seemed to be there, which was a little surprising, considering they didn't get together unless it was a special occasion.

Like weddings.

The tension that had left his body after talking to Molly returned full force and reinforcing the feeling that they were up to something. Only time would tell.

center* * */center

Supper was over and the kids were playing cards with George, laughing and having fun. Harry had Lily on his shoulder, sleeping soundly.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley started, the look on his face unreadable, which was strange since the was always open with his thoughts. "I want to ask you something."

"Yes, sir?" Harry asked, tensing when he sensed uneasiness. Were they going to ask what he thought they would?

"Molly and I were thinking about it and, with your work schedule being what it is at the Ministry, maybe you should let us have the kids."

Yup, exactly what he was thinking they would ask. "As much as I appreciate the offer, Mr. Weasley, I'd rather not. "

The older man cleared his throat and looked at his tea cup. "I was hoping to avoid this, but if I have to, I'll petition for custody. All the courts have to do is look at your history and they'll side with us as being more suitable to raise them." He stopped in surprise when his cup cracked in two and looked at Harry.

Harry was _furious_. He'd know this was going to be their tactic but had hoped he was wrong. "Just because I lost Ginny to the Death Eaters doesn't make me a bad person, Mr. Weasley. James, Sirius, it's time we left."

James and Sirius stopped playing, looking from their father to their grandfather, wondering what was going on, but they got up anyway without a word. Harry rose to his feet, determined to leave, but the Weasleys closed rank… except for George. Ron refused to meet his gaze when he looked at him.

"You can go, Harry, but the boys and Lily stay here," Mr. Weasley said, his look firm. "Charlie, bring the boys over here."

"No, Dad. I'm not helping you railroad Harry into giving up the only family he has," George said as he blocked Charlie's path, standing between them and the Potter family.

"What are you doing, George? He's the reason Ginny is where she is," Charlie said, a look of surprise on his face.

"Actually," Ron said as he rose and joined Harry and George, making the choice of standing with his life-long friend. He knew Harry would have done the same for him had the circumstances been reversed. How could he do any less? "Ginny's the reason she's where she is, Dad."

"What are you talking about?" Molly demanded angrily.

Ron threw a book on the table.

All eyes followed its path through the air and slide on the table until it stopped. "Ginny's diary? What were you doing with that?" Molly asked, confused.

"It must've got packed with my stuff when I moved out," Ron told them. "I read it, thinking it was a book Hermione had left here before she disappeared. In it, Ginny says that all she ever wanted since she heard about Voldemort being stopped by the 'boy who lived' was to marry him. Whoever he was. She was obsessed with it."

"And?" Charlie asked, frowning.

Ron sighed impatiently. "At the time she wrote it, she didn't know who Harry was. When Harry and I became friends she was ecstatic. It fit with her plans better than she'd hoped. After second year, when Harry saved her in the Chamber of Secrets, her obsession kicked into over-drive. She was even jealous of Hermione, who was more like a sister to Harry than a girlfriend. When we started the DA club, Ginny joined because she figured she'd be able to get Harry alone easier and put her plan into action."

"What plan?" George asked, watching everyone closely.

"To get Harry to fall in love with her. She wrote about how furious she was when Cho beat her to it. She also wrote something else about that year…" Ron hesitated as he looked back at Harry.

"What did she write, Ron?" Harry asked, though he had an idea what it was Ron was hesitating about.

"She went to Voldemort and took the Dark Mark. In return he was going to erase your memory and cast a love spell on you so she'd have her wish. Her assignment to get in was to lead Hermione into an ambush. They had planned to turn Hermione against you, Harry. Voldemort knew that she was important to you. How else to get at you than through someone you loved?"

Harry felt numb.

"Lies!" Molly yelled angrily. "You're lying!"

"I wish I was, Mum," Ron said sadly.

"I have to go home," Harry said numbly and turned towards the boys.

"You can't take them!" Molly screeched as she came around the table to block Harry. "They're mine!"

Frightened, the boys ran around Ron and to their father. "I'm sorry, Molly," Harry murmured as they put their little hands in his. He Apparated away with the vision of Molly trying to get around Ron and George, face twisted in hatred.

"What was wrong with Grandma?" Sirius asked, shaking.

"She's just mad at me for not protecting Mum," Harry murmured as he ran his fingers through the little boy's hair. "She's not mad at you. We'll give her some time to cool down before we go for another visit, alright?"

"Yes, Dad," Sirius murmured, laying his head against Harry's leg.

A house-elf appeared beside them, looking hopefully up at Harry. "May I, sir?" she asked, holding out her arms for Lily.

Harry smiled at the house-elf. "You're going to spoil both of us, you know," he said as he carefully handed the sleeping child to her. It was amazing how kids could sleep through anything.

The house-elf giggled and cradled Lily against her arms.

"What's your name?"

"Sasha, sir," she said before she Apparated away.

Harry sighed and looked down at the boys. "You can go play for a little while before bed." Both boys looked at each other and took off running down the hall. _Probably to find Rebecca_, Harry thought with a soft laugh.

He decided to check on Miranda. She hadn't been feeling well when he'd gone up to get ready earlier and he was a little worried.

**Chapter 17- Interesting Revelations**

He decided to check on Miranda. She hadn't been feeling too good when he'd gone up to get ready earlier and he was a little worried.

When he got to her room, he was surprised to see both Snape and Draco in the room. Snape seemed to be pinning her to the bed. "What's going on?"

Draco looked over at him for a minute before turning his attention back to Miranda. "She began convulsing a few seconds ago and Severus is trying to stop her from hurting herself."

Harry hurried over to the bed to see for himself. He remembered something he'd watched once on the television. "Move," he ordered Snape as he pulled the belt from around his waist. Folding it in half, he forced it into her mouth so she wouldn't crush her teeth as she clenched her jaw as Snape moved out of the way.

Brushing her hair out of her face, he was surprised at the heat coming off her. "Start the shower. Cold water only," he ordered as he yanked the blankets off her. Confused, Draco hurried over to the bathroom and turned the cold water on.

Harry picked her up and carried her into the shower, walking in, clothes and all.

"What the hell are you doing, Potter?" Snape demanded angrily. He'd been trying to help her, but without using his potions, he was limited in what he could do for her.

"We have to bring her temperature down. It's what's causing her seizure," Harry told him as he held her against his chest, face turned towards the water, feet on the floor.

"And how do you know this?"

"I remember Dudley and his friends watching this show on the television when I was young. They were laughing at someone convulsing because of a high fever. The only way to help, is to cool down the person with cold water."

Snape's eyebrow rose at that. He had no idea what a television was, but it made sense to bring down a fever with cold water.

By the time Miranda relaxed in Harry's arms, Harry couldn't feel his arms anymore. Draco took her from him, ignoring the belt that had fallen on the floor when the seizure had stopped. "That was quick thinking, Harry," Draco murmured.

"Go take a hot shower, Potter, before you come down with a cold. One patient is enough," Snape muttered as he walked by the two men, a house-elf waiting patiently for them to leave so she could change Miranda's clothes.

"Yes, sir," Harry murmured, a smile twitching his lips.

Draco followed Harry to his room. And helped the other take his shirt off when he saw Harry was having a hard time moving his fingers. "So, how did your evening go?"

Harry snorted. "About as bad as I expected it to go."

Draco's eyebrow rose at that cryptic answer. "How so?"

"The Weasleys want to take my kids from me," Harry told him through chattering teeth.

Draco's eyebrows shot up. "And they expected you to… what? _Agree_ to this?" Harry nodded and tried unsuccessfully to unbutton his pants. Draco sighed and pushed his frozen fingers aside to unbutton them. "Get into the shower. I'll leave the door open so we can talk."

When Harry went into the bathroom, Draco watched him without letting the other man know. He wanted to sigh at the sight of that beautiful body, but was afraid that Harry would ask what was wrong and catch him sneaking looks at him.

Now wasn't the time to reveal his intentions to the other man. He had to ask him a few questions first. "So what happened when you refused?" Draco asked after he'd settled himself on the doorjamb, resisting the urge to peek inside and catch a closer glimpse of Harry's naked body.

Harry groaned blissfully as heat hit him. "Surprisingly enough, not all the family is against me. Molly wanted Charlie to bring the boys to her, but George refused, actually standing between them and the rest of the Weasley clan."

"I'm sure _that_ went down well," Draco said with a snort.

Harry laughed bitterly. "I'm sure he won't be hearing the end of it. Surprisingly enough Ron actually stood up to his family. Apparently when he moved out he ended up with one of Ginny's old diaries." Harry frowned and turned to look at Draco. All he could see was his hair and right shoulder and arm. "I found something else out tonight."

"What's that?" Draco asked as he leaned his head back.

"Ginny didn't get the Dark Mark from Hermione. She got it from Voldemort."

Forgetting his resolve to not look in, Draco turned to look at Harry, surprise clear on his face. "What?"

Harry nodded. "Her assignment was to deliver Hermione into his hands. It explains how he got hold of her from inside a protected house."

"I wonder if Severus knew," Draco murmured, frowning thoughtfully. "We'll have to ask him in the morning."

Harry turned the water off and took the towel a house-elf had placed beside the shower door.

When Draco realized he was following the path the towel was drying, he wrenched himself around and settled back against the doorjamb. "I didn't think Weasley had it in him to actually stand up to his family. How did you get out with the kids?"

"It took both Ron and George to stop Molly from launching at the boys. I think she scared the shite out of them. I've never seen them that afraid when we were at the Burrow. Mr. Weasley wants to petition for custody. They want to use my job as an excuse," Harry said with a laugh. "If they only knew that this makes my decision easier."

Draco looked over his shoulder, puzzled. "What decision?"

"Leave my job to take care of my kids. Kingsley isn't going to be happy, but I don't really care." Harry walked out of the bathroom, towel around his waist.

Draco looked at him incredulously before he started laughing. "I'd like to see their faces when they hear this."

Harry waggled his eyebrows mischievously. "This should be interesting, especially since my letter will be delivered in about an hour or so to my head of department." He gestured to the writing desk where a letter lay on top.

"You already had it written?" Draco asked, surprised. He hadn't thought Harry would leave his job so willingly.

"In all honesty, it's been written for a few days now. I just wasn't sure if I wanted it delivered," Harry said with a shrug. "Can you see that it's sent off for me while I get dressed?"

"You should've been in Slytherin, Harry. With a mind like yours you might have rivaled even me," Draco murmured as he walked over to the table.

Harry frowned at that. "That's what the Sorting Hat told me first year."

Draco looked at him, wondering if the surprises would ever end with this man. "So then why were you in Gryffindor?"

"Because I was told that those who ended up in Slytherin were all bad, that no good had ever come out of that house." Harry shrugged regretfully at the look on Draco's face. "What can I say, Dumbledore interfered at an early stage."

"I think if I'd been brought up in the Wizarding world, I might have been better prepared for what I got tossed into. All this was alien to me back then. Now I know differently." Harry walked into the closet to get dress.

Draco shook his head. This man never ceased to amaze him. He'd put his animosity with Draco behind him without a second thought, and now he was admitting that he should've been in Slytherin house.

Wow.

"How about we have supper together tomorrow? Just you and me?" he asked before he could chicken out of it.

Harry's head popped out to look at him in surprise before he thought about it. "Sure," he said with his typical manner, shrugging one shoulder before he disappeared into the closet again.

Draco shook his head at him, a smile on his lips as he left Harry to get dressed. He had a letter to mail.

Draco stood in the door of the gardens, watching Harry playing with his two boys, a house-elf standing not far from the playpen where the little girl slept peacefully. It was funny how he always seemed to be watching Harry, first at school as he studied or played with his friends, and now. Maybe he could change that tonight.

He had a sudden flashback to their school days. He remembered watching Harry studying in the library, either with or without his friends, Quidditch practice with his team mates… and all without the other man knowing about it.

He had managed to talk the other man into having dinner with him… without the children. No mean feat, considering their history, but he hoped to change that tonight.

Harry was glad that his day had gone as good as it had.

As he'd expected, Kingsley had _not_ been happy to hear of Harry's resignation. He'd paid them a visit that morning demanding answers. He'd gone into the study with Harry, angry, and had come out – well, not exactly happy – understanding Harry's reason.

He'd shaken Harry's hand and had promised to put a stop to the Weasleys' interference.

Next had come a letter from the courts, stating that a petition had been brought to their attention about Harry's children. It also told him that, because of lack of evidence, it would be disregarded.

Harry shook his head sadly. He hadn't wanted this. The ones it was really punishing were the kids. He couldn't let them visit the Weasleys, couldn't trust that they wouldn't try something to get their way. If they wanted to visit, they'd have to do it where they could be supervised.

Pushing the thought away, Harry made his way up the stairs, actually looking forward to having supper with Draco. The kids had been fed and a house-elf was looking after them. He'd been assured that all would be taken care of and he didn't need to worry about anything.

He had just enough time for a quick shower before eating, but first he wanted to check on Miranda. He hoped she wasn't too lonely. Over the last few days, she'd been confined to her bed. Any kind of exertion would just tire her out, even walking. To say he was worried was an understatement.

When he reached Miranda's door, he was surprised to hear voices coming from inside. Taking a quick peek inside, he smiled when he recognized Snape's robes peeking around the edge of the chair. He pulled back before they realized he was there and continued on to his room to ready himself for his night with Draco.

Her fever had broken sometime in the night, after a couple more cold showers, and now she was finally awake.

Alban was waiting in his room, an outfit laid out for him on the bed. "Master Harry best hurry or he'll be late," Harry heard as he made his way to the bathroom.

"I know, Alban, thank you. I'm going to go as fast as I can," he said as he quickly disrobed and got into the shower. Realistically, he shouldn't be looking forward to having supper with Draco. It _was_ only supper. It wasn't like they were going out on a _date_ after all.

Harry stopped lathering as he thought of that. Wasn't it? If it had been a girl he was going out to dinner with, he would have labeled it as a date. He shook his head at himself as he continued washing. It was only dinner and if he didn't hurry, he'd be late.

In no time at all, he was dressed and heading downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, a house-elf was waiting to lead him to where Draco was waiting for him. He was lead to a room he'd never been in before. It was smaller, more… intimate, you could say.

Harry was surprised at the room. It was dimly lit but he could see Draco standing at the only window in the room. When he entered, Draco turned to look at him with a small smile on his face. "Shall we sit?"

Harry smiled back and nodded.

Throughout the meal, they talked about things that didn't really matter. It was a chance to just unwind and not think about what was happening around them. He knew they'd eventually have to talk about it, but he didn't want to break the good mood they were in just yet.

After dessert, they made their way to the living room. Draco poured them each a drink. Standing at the fireplace, Draco turned to look at Harry, and the look on his face made Harry a little apprehensive, though it didn't stop him from going to stand beside the fireplace with Draco. "We need to talk," he began and Harry wondered if he'd done something wrong.

"About?" He realized then that Draco seemed to be a little nervous. What could he be nervous about?

Draco noticed that Harry was getting nervous and smiled. "Don't worry. It's nothing bad. I just want to ask you about something a little personal."

"What do you want to know?"

He still looked weary, but there was nothing Draco could do about that. "I only want to ask you about your past relationships." The surprise on Harry's face was hilarious.

"My – What?"

"I mean did you have sex with anyone but Ginny?" Draco asked, his lips twitching. Harry's reaction, however, surprised him.

Harry laughed.

"How did you expect me to do that when I was under constant surveillance from Hermione and being trained to be a weapon by Dumbledore? The only time I was left alone, Hermione agreed to leave me in the Room of Requirement with Cho, though she asked me a thousand questions about it." Harry shrugged indifferently, his tone almost disgusted. "It seemed a better idea afterwards to just keep to myself instead of looking for that kind of distraction, as they say."

Draco's eyebrows rose at his tone. "And after Voldemort was dead? There was no one?"

"After? After I did what everyone expected me to do: I married Ginny. Everyone was sooo… happy." Harry downed his drink quickly, almost like he was trying to drown the memory. "No else seemed to care about what I wanted. Being an Auror was my choice, though. Ginny didn't seem to care, as long as I had a job. Now that I look back on it, she seemed almost relieved that I would be working instead of staying home. It wasn't like I needed to work. I have enough money at Gringotts."

Draco frowned at Harry, wondering how the other could live such a life. Why would he let people push him into something he obviously didn't want? He leaned forward impulsively and kissed him.

**Chapter 18 - Once Bitten, Twice Shy**

Draco leaned forward impulsively and kissed him.

Harry froze in surprise. When Draco sensed it, he pulled back, unsure if he'd done the wrong thing. "Sorry," he murmured as he moved away.

"I'm sorry, too. It's just that…." Harry sighed as he leaned back against the wall beside the fireplace. "This time I want to make sure that _I'm_ making the choice, not the other way around. I need to make sure I'm doing this for _me_ and for no one else, not even the kids." He laid a gentle hand on Draco's arm. "I'm not saying no, Draco. I'm just saying I need to figure myself out before I make any more poor choices."

Draco looked at him in surprise. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that for a while I've been wondering just exactly what my sexual preference is and I'm realizing that it's not women. Though I seem able to perform with them, it's more mechanical instead of true passion. When Ginny and I were together, I'd hoped I could ignore it, but instead I just made both of us miserable." Harry laughed and shook his head at himself. "I just want to be sure this time. Do you understand?" he asked as he looked Draco in the eyes.

Draco looked at him searchingly for a few seconds before nodding. "I can be patient, but don't expect me to give up," he told Harry with the famous Malfoy smile.

"I would expect nothing less," Harry told him with a saucy smile and a wink. "By the way, not to change the subject but Alban told me about the dead house-elf. Did you ever discover who owned him?"

_What a mood killer_, Draco thought as he shook his head. "Yes. I guess Hermione didn't put much trust in Ginny's plan. She must've had Macnair send his own house-elf to follow you once they knew you were here, knowing you'd lead them to James."

"She must have been really raging waiting as long as they did," Harry said with a small laugh, shaking his head. "At least that part's over and done. Now we just have to save Miranda, though I'm at a loss as to how to help her. Has Snape found anything?"

"Not that he's saying." Draco looked at Harry with a slight frown. "If Severus finds something, he'll let us know. I don't think he's found anything that'll help Miranda… yet."

Harry sighed heavily and closed his eyes, leaning his head back slightly before his eyes opened and he frowned. "Hold on. How come you didn't know about the stray house-elf? Wouldn't you know if he wasn't yours?"

Draco laughed. "Not really. I have so many of them in my employ that I didn't notice the difference. As you've no doubt noticed, they pretty much all look like each other."

"Just how many _do_ you have?"

Draco shrugged and finished his drink. "I need to turn in. I have to help Severus tomorrow morning. He wants to attempt taking off the Dark Mark." He moved closer as he saw the questioning look Harry had in his eyes. "And I'm telling you this so you don't think I'm avoiding you tomorrow," he said as he leaned closer and kissed Harry on the lips, thrilled when Harry kissed him back. "Goodnight," he murmured softly before heading towards the door.

"Goodnight, Draco," Harry murmured as he watched Draco walk out of the room. He turned to look at the fire, letting his mind linger on the kiss. He was happily surprised by the turn of events.

But could he have what he wanted and still be what he needed to be to those who expected him to always do the right thing?

He shuddered to think of Ron's reaction if he were to start dating Draco Malfoy. Funny that the fact that Harry fancied men over women wouldn't send Ron over the edge but the 'who' would. When it came to Draco, Ron lost all reason, though thinking back on all Draco had put Ron through at school, he shouldn't really be surprised.

But would it be enough to bring him around? Would he be able to accept Harry's choice? If he took it to the next level, that is.

And what about the whole Weasley clan? Would they use this against him, just to take his kids away? Probably.

Harry sighed and rubbed at his face. He needed to do some serious thinking. He didn't want to lead Draco on if he found he couldn't handle being in another relationship…

His eyes narrowed as he realized what he was thinking. He was letting them do it to him again. Dictate who he should and shouldn't see. And he was getting tired of being told what to do, like he was still a child to be guided.

To hell with them all.

It was time to think of himself and his children. If the others couldn't cope with what he wanted, then too damn bad.

It was time to live his life the way _he_ wanted.

Pushing away from the fireplace, he slowly made his way upstairs, then decided to stop to check on Miranda before he turned in. He was surprised to see she was still awake, propped up on some pillows, a house-elf puttering around the room, almost like she was waiting for Miranda to tell her to turn out the lights so she could sleep.

The poor thing also seemed a little nervous, and then Harry saw why. Miranda's eyes were following her around the room, a look of curiosity in her eyes. She still couldn't believe these creatures were real, despite all she'd seen in her years.

Harry found it comical.

"You can go," he told her, stopping the house-elf in her tracks as she turned to look up at him.

"Sir?" she squeaked in surprise.

"I'll make sure the lights are off before I leave," he assured her as he made his way towards the chair.

The house-elf looked back at him, then at Miranda, before she vanished.

"I still can't believe they actually like to pick up after us," Miranda murmured as she shifted to a more comfortable position, wincing in pain. "So? How did your date go?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Who told you I was on a date?" Harry asked in surprise.

"The Professor, of course. So?"

Harry sighed and shook his head. "I figure I'm going to take it a step at a time and to hell with what anyone else thinks."

"Good. I thought that maybe you'd let those people pressure you into doing what _they_ think is right. It hasn't helped you yet," she said, watching him. "It's time you think of what's good for you and those children."

Harry was surprised to hear his own thoughts come out of her mouth. "You agree?"

"Of course." She looked at him closely and frowned. "Harry, don't think that marrying Ginny was a mistake, but you have to think of what _you_ want and need now. Your duty to them is done. They wanted you to defeat Voldemort, and you did. They wanted you to marry Ginny, and you did. You have three beautiful children who adore you out of that union. If this is what _you_ want, then go for it. If they're your friends, then it won't matter who you're with. They'll want your happiness. Don't let them get in the way."

Harry laughed softly. "Funny how I'd come to that same conclusion just a few minutes ago."

"I also heard about last night. What did the Weasleys want?"

Harry shrugged, pretending it didn't bother him as much as it did, but the frown on Miranda's face told him it wasn't working. "They wanted to take the kids. Permanently."

Miranda's eyebrows rose at that. "For real?" At Harry's nod, she shook her head. "Did they think it would make them better off to raise Ginny's kids after the woman was thrown in jail?"

"They don't call it jail here, though it's the same thing, I guess. Truth be told, I'm not sure what was going through their heads. Especially since they actually thought I'd agree to it, but I fixed it."

"How?"

"I quit my job to become a full-time dad. I'm still waiting to hear their reaction."

Miranda laughed before she hissed in pain. "Don't make me laugh," she murmured when the pain had lessened. "It hurts too much, but you're right. I want to hear what their reaction is when you find out."

"I'd better let you get some sleep or Snape'll get mad at me for keeping you up," he murmured as he stood up. "Need help getting settled?"

"Yeah," she said with a sigh.

Leaning over, he helped her get comfortable before he kissed her forehead. "Good night, my friend."

"Good night, Harry. See you in the morning."

He made sure all the lights were out before closing the door on his way out. _Time for me to get some sleep_, he thought, heading down the corridor. The kids were going to have him up early as it was. They always did.


	7. Chapters 19 to 21

Beta'd by Bubba and Lady Katye

**Chapter 19 – Interesting Development**

_Time for me to get some sleep,_ he thought, heading down the corridor. The kids were going to have him up early as it was. They always did.

"Draco?" Harry called out as he looked inside the Malfoy's room. He'd waited all day yesterday, hoping he could talk to Draco, to tell him of the decision he'd come to. He'd known that Draco would be tired after the ritual with Snape, but he hadn't realized that he wouldn't see him at all.

The room was empty.

He began to wonder if, perhaps, Draco had changed his mind and decided that he didn't, in fact, want a relationship with Harry after all. He turned to leave and just about bowled Draco over. "Jeez, Draco, make noise next time," Harry gasped, clutching at his chest.

Draco laughed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. What're you doing here?"

"I came to talk to you."

"About?" Draco asked as he gestured towards the sitting area in his room.

"About us," Harry murmured, missing how Draco's body tensed at his words.

Draco forced himself to relax as he sat down in the chair. "And?"

"And… to hell with what everyone else thinks, even the Weasleys. If they can't be happy for me, then too bad," Harry said, watching Draco, holding his breath in case Draco had changed his mind.

Draco's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Are you sure about this?"

"Positive." The look on Draco's face told Harry that he wasn't sure Harry had thought it through completely. "Besides, Miranda agrees with me."

"You… told Miranda?" Will wonders ever cease? He hadn't realized that Miranda liked him, let alone approved of him being with Harry.

Harry nodded. "How did she put it? 'If the Weasleys are your friends, then it won't matter who you're with. They'll want your happiness. Don't let them get in the way.' Funny thing is I'd come to the same conclusion before I went to visit her," Harry said with a shrug.

Draco frowned, wondering if Harry was making this decision for himself or if he was just trying to rebel against the people who had been controlling his life since he'd been young, but Harry's next words made him smile.

"But I still want to take it slow, make sure it's the right thing for us. I just don't want anyone to influence who I'm with anymore. I want it to be _my_ choice."

"Then we'll take it a day at a time," Draco told him with a smile. "And see what it brings for us."

"Isn't it funny how adults seem to think kids don't notice things?" James asked Rebecca as they played outside.

Rebecca rolled her eyes as they glanced over to where the adults were sitting, talking. "They seem to think we're blind or something."

James laughed and shook his head. "This should be interesting to watch. Wonder how long it'll take before they come out of hiding. Want to play tag?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Sure, come on, Sirius. James can be it first since he chose the game," she said with a mischievous smile as James groaned. He'd wanted someone else to start the game off!

Harry felt like he was walking on clouds. The last three days had been heavenly. Draco had been true to his word. He was persistent but taking it slowly.

Every morning Harry woke to a new surprise.

The first day, he'd woken up to a rose on the pillow next to him. He'd been pleasantly surprised and touched. No one had ever left him a surprise before.

Yesterday had been a box of chocolates, which the boys had eaten with Rebecca. He'd never really been big on sweets, but he liked the thought, and Draco hadn't seemed to mind that the kids had eaten the chocolates instead of him.

And then today, it was a book on advanced spells. He'd smiled at that. There was a time when he'd have passed on books, but since Hermione had disappeared and they'd assumed she was dead, he'd buckled down and actually made the effort to do his own research.

Which was probably why he'd passed his N.E.W.T. exams with flying colours the year after Voldemort was finally defeated. At least he hadn't been the only one to go back for an extra year. Everyone in his year who hadn't been at school that year had been given the opportunity to finish their last year at Hogwarts.

On his way downstairs, he decided to stop and visit with Miranda. She was lying on her side, looking bored out of her mind. She brightened when she saw him. "Morning," she murmured as he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"How did you sleep?" he asked as he sat down in the chair.

She shrugged slightly. "As well I can be, considering every time I move, a pain shoots through me."

Harry frowned at her words. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

"How about you help me out of this bed and into that chair?" she asked hopefully. "Quite frankly, I'm getting tired of lying in bed."

He couldn't see any harm in the request so he shrugged and got up. Being careful how he picked her up, he moved her to the chair. She sighed in relief when she was settled and was surprised when Harry tucked a blanket around her lap. "Just in case you're cold," he told her as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Feel better?"

"Much. Thanks, Harry."

"No problem. I'll come back in an hour to put you back in bed," he told her as he rose to his feet.

He was almost at the door when she stopped him. "Can you do me favor?" she asked when he turned to look at her.

"What's that?"

"Can you bring Long-Feather and my grandfather here? There's something I need to ask them."

Harry looked at her for a few seconds. What was she up to? He wondered. "Sure. I'll be up in a little while with them."

"Thanks, Harry. I appreciate it."

Snape walked into Miranda's room to find her sitting in a chair by the window, a blanket on her lap, her face pale as she stared outside.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" he demanded, his tone harsher than he'd meant for it to be.

"Sitting," she murmured softly, not turning to look at him.

"Who said you could get out of bed? You'll just exhaust yourself," he told her angrily.

"Everything exhausts me, damn it!" she snarled at him before gasping in pain as she clutched at the arms of the chair, eyes closing as she concentrated on controlling the pain.

Snape's eyebrows rose at her rare display of temper. She'd been amazingly calm these last few days where her limitations were concerned. He took a deep calming breath, forcing himself to get his own temper in check. This wasn't helping her and she wasn't exhausting herself by sitting. "If I let you sit there for a while, do you promise to take things easy?" he asked, deciding to take a different approach. After all, she wasn't one of his former students, whom he could terrorize.

She opened her eyes and let her head fall back against the back of the chair. "Yes," she whispered and he could hear the pain in her voice. "Was there a reason behind your visit?" she asked tiredly.

"Yes, I wanted to run some more tests," he murmured as he watched her. "How did you get to the chair?" he asked as he frowned at her.

"Harry helped me. Let me guess, you want more blood," she drawled sarcastically.

He ignored her tone as he moved closer. "And where is Mr. Potter?"

"I sent him on an errand for me," she told him as she turned to look out the window once more. Probably wishing she could go out there, Snape realized, but he couldn't risk her getting sick in her weakened condition.

"Miranda?"

Snape turned to see an old man and the young man he'd seen in the puddle before everything had happened with Hermione. Her brother, if he remembered correctly.

Miranda's head turned towards the voice and smiled slightly. "Grandfather, Long Feather. Thanks for coming. Can we have some time together?" she asked Snape and Harry, who stood behind Long-Feather.

"Of course," Snape murmured as he finished up and left the room, closing the door behind him. "Tell me, Mr. Potter," Snape murmured as Harry made to go back downstairs. "Was it your idea or hers to sit in the chair?"

"She suggested, but I didn't see any harm in her sitting up instead of lying down. She wasn't hurting herself."

"I agree, but perhaps next time you should ask me if it's wise to move her. What if it _had_ cause damage?"

Harry flushed at the implication that he would put his friend in jeopardy just to make her comfortable. "I'm well aware of what she can and can't do. Her injuries aren't physical, not really. If she'd had broken bones that would have been made worst by sitting her up, I wouldn't have moved her. And please don't assume that you're the only one who's concerned with her well-being, Professor. I care for Miranda like she was my sister."

"Of course," Snape said with a slight tilt of his head before he swept away, with a billow of his clothes.

Harry went downstairs, still smarting at the subtle implication Snape had just delivered. Like he would put her in a situation that would hurt her. _Ha!_ If he only knew.

"Harry?"

He froze in his tracks, blinking in surprise as he turned to look at Draco. "Is something wrong?"

Harry sighed, letting his anger melt away. It wasn't Draco's fault Snape was the way he was. "Not really. Snape just reprimanded me for allowing Miranda to sit in the chair without asking his permission first," he said with a shrug.

Draco's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

"Yeah, he seems to think I'd willingly do something to hurt her." He huffed a little. "As if I'd do something like that."

"So what happened? Is he still up there with her?" Draco asked, wondering if laughing would insult Harry. They were fighting over a woman! This was _so_ precious!

"Nah, Miranda asked me to get her brother and grandfather. She's with them right now," Harry said with a slight frown, noticing the glint in Draco's eyes. "Are you laughing at me?" he asked suspiciously.

Draco's eyes opened wide in mock innocence. "Would I laugh at you and Severus fighting over a woman?"

It took a few seconds for Draco's words to sink in. Draco was surprised when Harry started laughing.

**Chapter 20 - More Trouble**

"So what happened? Is he still up there with her?" Draco asked, wondering if laughing would insult Harry. They were fighting over a woman! This was _so_ precious!

"Nah, Miranda asked me to get her brother and grandfather. She's with them right now," Harry said with a slight frown, noticing the glint in Draco's eyes. "Are you laughing at me?" he asked suspiciously.

Draco's eyes opened wide in mock innocence. "Would I laugh at you and Severus fighting over a woman?"

It took a few seconds for Draco's words to sink in. Draco was surprised when Harry started laughing. "You're right, that does sound absurd."

"You think?" Draco asked with a smile. At least Harry was taking it better than he'd expected. "So Miranda's family is here. I wonder why she wanted them here?"

Harry shrugged. "We'll find out later, I'm sure."

Later, at lunch, Harry was surprised and a little apprehensive when he received an owl from George and another from Ron. Both requested an urgent visit with him and Draco. Harry looked over at Draco, a frown on his face.

Draco caught the look as he was talking with James about card games. James was explaining what cards were and some of the games Harry had taught him and Sirius. It was actually fascinating. "Sorry, James," he murmured, winking at him playfully. "We'll have to finish this conversation later. What's up, Harry?"

Harry didn't say anything but handed it over to the house-elf closest to him. "Can you take this to Draco?" he asked politely.

The house-elf bowed slightly, taking the letters from Harry to take them to Draco. Puzzled and a little apprehensive, Draco took them and scanned the first one quickly then read it again. "Rather cryptic, aren't they?" he said as he read the second letter.

"Mm, what do you think?" Harry asked before a house-elf popped in beside him. He looked at the small creature in surprise, noticing the small ribbon tied to each side of his shoulders. "I guess Miranda wants to talk to us now?" he asked him with an amused smile.

The house-elf noticed him looking at his new additions and smiled proudly. "Yes, sir, Master Harry," he said before he Apparated away.

Draco looked at Harry with eyebrows raised. "How could you tell that was the house-elf assigned to Miranda?" he asked in surprise.

"She tied ribbons on her house-elf to tell which one he was," Harry said with a laugh. "Finish your lunch and go play outside, please," he told the children as he rose to his feet, gesturing for Draco to follow him. When he was out of earshot, he looked at the letters still in Draco's hand. "What do we tell them?"

Draco looked at the letters again. When he reached the study door, they slipped in and Draco quickly penned a response on both letters. "Tammy!" Draco called.

The house-elf appeared beside him, bowing slightly. "Master Draco?"

He handed her the letters. "Send these right away," he told her. She bowed again and Apparated away. "I told them to come over in a half hour. Let's go see what Miranda's up to."

Once they reached Miranda's room, Harry was surprised to see Snape there as well, waiting for them. "Took your time, Potter?" he drawled sarcastically.

"Sorry, something urgent came up at the same time as we were summoned," Harry murmured, choosing to ignore the old professor's tone. Funny how he couldn't have done that when attending Hogwarts. It just went to show how much he'd matured.

Snape's eyebrow rose when he didn't get the comeback he'd expected but didn't comment. "What's going on, Miranda?" he asked instead.

"I've talked to my grandfather and he agrees. Since nothing you've tried has worked yet, I want him to do a cleansing ceremony. I've seen it work on a lot of situations, it might work this time too."

Harry watched the reactions of Draco and Snape. He knew what she was talking about… vaguely. When they were younger, she'd tried to explain how the ceremony worked, but he hadn't really understood the logistics.

He saw the look of confusion on Draco's face and a frown on Snape's. Neither of them knew what she was talking about but neither wanted to voice their ignorance. "How would it work?" he asked, sparing them from having to ask.

"We can't really go into details," Miranda's grandfather said from beside her chair. "Suffice it to say we need somewhere outside that's surrounded by trees and is secluded enough for the three of us to work. A few blankets for Miranda to lie on and safe enough for us to build four small fires. I don't want to set fire to the land around us if I can avoid it," he told them ruefully.

Now it was Draco's turn to frown. "There's a small clearing in the garden that might suit you need. If you want, I can show you where it is and you can judge for yourself."

Miranda's grandfather opened his mouth to answer him, but Snape beat him to it. "I can't allow Miranda to go outside. If she catches anything, she might die."

"I'm dying now," she snarled at him in anger, eyes flashing, hands clutching at the arms on the chair, telling Harry just how much pain the outburst caused her, but she was refusing to let it stop her… for now. "It doesn't matter anymore. If this doesn't work, I'm as good as dead. I _have _to try _some_thing."

Snape looked at her in surprise. It was true that he hadn't found anything yet to help her… well, not true. He'd found something, but needed to research it a little bit more before he said anything. "And if it doesn't work? What then?" he drawled angrily, falling back to his old habits.

"Then I die. At least I tried _ some_thing!" she said, banging her fist down, gritting her teeth and gripping the chair tighter with her other hand, trying hard to keep from crying from the pain. "I need to try this! Instead of fighting me on this, help me!"

Snape's lips tightened and he sighed in resignation. "Fine. What can we do to help?"

Harry watched Miranda, worried when it seemed the pain wasn't going away like it always did. He moved quickly over to her. "Miranda?" He reached out to her, surprised when he heard her gasping for air.

"Professor?" he called in panic as he caught her shoulders when she slumped over. The skin of his hand suddenly became extremely hot where it was touching the bare skin of her neck as he cradled her head. There was a sudden crack in the room and both Miranda and Harry gasped in surprise and a little in pain.

Draco and Snape moved quickly as a second crack erupted, this time the force of the power flung Harry and Miranda apart. Draco rushed to Harry where he was lying on the floor, slightly dazed. Snape went to Miranda who was unconscious on the chair.

Miranda's grandfather and brother stood rooted where they stood, not quite sure what to do.

"What the hell happened?" Harry asked, shaken, cradling his hand. There was an angry welt with spidery veins running from it where his skin had touched hers and on Miranda was the same thing along her collarbone and neck.

"How is she?" Draco asked, helping Harry to his feet, though Harry didn't seem too steady and had to sit on the edge of the bed.

Snape turned to look at Harry with narrowed eyes. It seemed he'd found his solution if this cleansing ceremony went south. "I'm not quite sure what happened," he murmured in answer to Harry's question. "And as for how she is, her breathing isn't labored anymore."

"What? How?" Harry asked in surprise.

"I have to check some things out, but I should have an answer later today. Off the bed, Mr. Potter. She needs to sleep if she's going to do this ceremony this evening."

Harry rose to his feet, a little steadier now, and watched as Snape picked her up and laid her under the blankets.

"Make your preparations," he told the elderly man as he tucked the blankets around Miranda, noticing that the welt was starting to go away. "And let me know if I can be of any assistance."

"If this young man will show us where we can do the ceremony, I'll know what we need," Grandfather said, gesturing to Draco, watching Snape with eyes that saw more than the old professor realized.

"Do you think you'll be alright?" Draco asked Harry who was looking at his hand in wonder. The welt was already fading.

"Yeah, go. I have to meet Ron and George in the Floo room in a bit anyway.

Draco led Miranda's relatives downstairs and out into the backyard. "I know Long Feather's name because Miranda's used it before and Harry told me he was her brother, but what do we call you, sir?"

"Just call me Grandfather or Elder," he murmured as he looked around the yard. "This is a beautiful garden you have here, Draco."

"Thank you," Draco murmured, figuring Miranda had already told them his and Snape's names.

"Grandfather!" James and Sirius screamed as the boys ran over, a big smile on their faces, Rebecca following at a jog, unsure of these strangers with her father.

"James, Sirius," the old man laughed as James gave him a hug, followed quickly by Sirius. "Are you being good for your father?"

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

With a smile that crinkled his whole face, he looked up to see Rebecca standing beside Draco. "And who's this lovely young lady?" he asked kindly as Rebecca blushed at the comment, smiling shyly, resisting the urge to look down at her feet and scuff the toe of her shoe on the ground.

"That's Rebecca. She lives here. She knows games we've never played before," Sirius told him loudly as he bounced beside the older man.

"Really? Well, that's what counts , isn't it?" he murmured with a wink at Rebecca, who ducked her head this time, her blush intensifying. "Why don't you three go play."

"Okay." The boys ran off with Rebecca following, casting one last look at the strange men.

"A beautiful child you have, Draco."

"Thank you. It's been good for her to have other kids for her to play with. Sometimes I worry that she's growing up too fast without other children to interact with," Draco told him as he moved through the gardens towards where they could see a small copse of trees.

Draco noticed the old man looking around at all the different flowers in the largest of the gardens in the back of the Manor and wondered what he'd think if he knew some of these beauties were actually dangerous. "This is beautiful," he murmured, even looking up at the way the smaller gardens made a contrast against the Manor. "A very lovely home with a lot of gardens set around it."

"Thank you. The trees were left in a circle with a seating area inside. Bushes placed on the outer rim allows for more privacy." Draco led them closer to the trees in question. "The benches can be removed and whatever you want can be brought out here."

The older man nodded, not saying anything. _Probably waiting to see what it really looks like_, Draco thought with a small smile. Their reactions made his smile widen. They gasped as they walked into the small glade. Benches were strategically placed around the ring of trees with a fountain in the center, making it feel like they really were in a forest instead of Malfoy Manor.

What could he say? His ancestors knew how to place things so it could take you to a different place altogether.

"Will this do for your purposes?" he asked slyly.

The old man smiled easily as he looked around the area. "This will do wonderfully," he murmured softly. "The two benches on this side will have to be moved and a small cot with blankets can be put it their place."

"Easily done," Draco told him and called for Jarett, the house-elf assigned Miranda's care… who still had those ridiculous ribbons on his rags but he didn't have the heart to tell the creature to take them off, especially since he was so proud to wear them. "Take those two benches out of here for now and bring a bed and blankets in here and anything else this gentleman says he needs."

"Yes, Master," he told Draco and moved quickly over to the first bench.

Draco noticed the surprised looks on Miranda's grandfather and brother and hid his grin, remembering the same look on Miranda's face when she'd first seen a house-elf. "They're our servants," he told them, not waiting for them to ask.

Neither seemed willing to question it further, but just nodded.

"Are you coming back into the Manor or are you going to stay and watch him work?" he asked the two men in amusement.

"Long Feather can go spend time with Miranda. I'm going to stay and watch," the old man murmured in fascination as he watched the house-elf levitate the bench in the air. Laughing, Draco motioned for Long Feather to follow him.

Harry made it to the Floo room with fifteen minutes to spare. He looked over at the house-elf that appeared beside him. "Is the connection to receive Ron and George Weasley open?" he asked the little creature, wondering not for the first time how you could tell their gender. "Sorry, what's your name?"

"Yes, Master Harry," it said with a bow. "Ethan my name is, sir."

_Which means this one's male_, Harry thought to himself, nodding to the little creature. "Thank you, Ethan."

The house-elf hummed happily and left Harry to wait for the Weasleys. He wouldn't have long to wait… unless they were running late. He paced the room, looking at the detail work along the mantle of the fireplace, the art work hanging on the wall…

He hated waiting.

Had never cared for the way people would let him sit in a room to wait to be 'summoned' like an errand boy. Dumbledore had loved doing that to him.

The Floo activated just as he sat down. Standing up, he waited as Ron stepped out of the fireplace with the ever present smudge by his nose. Harry grinned at that and walked forward to greet his oldest friend. "Ron, what's up? Your letter was kind of cryptic."

"Actually, George told me he'd hex me 'til next week if I said anything before he got here," Ron said sheepishly as he shook Harry's hand before looking around. "Where's Malfoy? I figured he'd be here to make sure we didn't take anything from his precious Manor," he said sarcastically.

"Ron," Harry said warningly. If this was what he had to look forward to, it was going to be a long meeting.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, ducking his head a little. "It's habit by now."

"Don't worry, Weasley," Draco drawled, walking through the door in time to hear the snide comment. "I'm sure the feeling is mutual."

Harry threw Ron a look which made him bite his tongue, and Harry knew it was costing him not to respond to the comment. Fortunately he was saved by the Floo activating again. George stepped through and quickly walked over to Harry, shaking his hand.

"Harry, Malfoy. Thanks for seeing us like this."

"It sounded serious and urgent," Harry said, wondering what on earth could be so urgent.

"Is there somewhere more private we can talk?" George asked, looking around.

Harry looked over at Draco, who shrugged and led the group into the den, closing the door behind the last person. "So what's the problem?"

"I'm sorry, Harry, but Mum and Dad have lost their minds," George said, sighing as he sat down in the nearest chair. "Especially since Ginny was put in Azkaban. They've decided to find a way to take the kids away from you. Since they can't use your job as an excuse, they've decided to use where you're living instead. Two men in a house with one woman with children running around seeing Merlin knows what. They've started rumors that there's inappropriate behavior being carried on in front of the kids. They figure that in a couple of days they'll have enough support to take this to court and petition for custody."

**Chapter 21 - Healing the Dying Pt 1**

"I'm sorry, Harry, but Mum and Dad have lost their minds," George said, sighing as he sat down in the nearest chair. "Especially since Ginny was put in Azkaban. They've decided to find a way to take the kids away from you. Since they can't use your job as an excuse, they've decided to use where you're living instead. Two men in a house with one woman with children running around seeing Merlin knows what. They've started rumors that there's inappropriate behavior being carried on in front of the kids. They figure that in a couple of days they'll have enough support to take this to court and petition for custody."

Harry stared at him, hoping this was a joke. How the hell could someone turn against him so badly, and over something _he_'d had nothing to do with?

"I'm sorry, mate. I don't know what's going on in the family anymore. The only ones who are realizing just how ridiculous this is getting are Charlie and Bill. Fleur won't talk to Mum anymore or let her kids visit either. I think she's afraid they'll try to take them from her, too. They've really gone off the deep end. I thought when you left that night that Mum and Dad would come to their senses, but it just seemed to fuel the fire more."

Harry sat down heavily into the nearest chair, feeling numb before turning to look at Ron. "Did they ever care about me for me? Or did they only use me for what I could bring them?" He didn't know what to do. He wanted to cry, but didn't think he had the strength anymore.

"Harry?" Draco murmured as he moved closer to Harry, wondering just what was going through his mind. Harry looked at him with a blank look in his eyes, which worried Draco. "Don't worry, we'll find a way to stop them," he murmured as he knelt beside him.

"How? Why are they doing this? Ginny was caught because she was a Death Eater. How does this make me the one responsible for her choices?" he asked Draco. He just wanted to be happy. His _children_ deserved to be happy. Why couldn't Molly and Arthur see that? Why did they have to try and tear his family apart?

Draco frowned in thought. "I might know someone who can help us with this mess, Harry, but we're going to have to act fast if you want to nip this in the bud."

Harry shook himself of the depression overcoming him and forced himself to push it to the back of his mind. Now wasn't the time to give in like his body wanted him too. His kids were all he had left in the world. The Weasleys had proven they weren't really his family… all but a few. Harry's eyes flashed in anger. "Contact them and find out what our options are. They are _not_ getting my children, even if I have to leave England to make sure of it."

Draco smiled in relief. This was the Harry he'd known at Hogwarts, the reason he'd been able to defeat Voldemort. You didn't attack what Harry wanted to protect. It was a sure way to lose. He turned to look at the Weasleys. "If we need to, can we count on your help?"

"Of course," George agreed without hesitation before looking over at Ron. "How 'bout you?"

Ron sighed, knowing this was going to cause more problems in the family, he realized as he nodded. Then he thought of all the times Harry had been there for him without thinking about what problems it would cause him. "Yeah, and I might be able to talk Bill into helping out if you need it."

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate this," Harry murmured, knowing Arthur and Molly weren't going to like this. He wanted this over and done with. He'd hoped for a better outcome, but it didn't look like it would happen. Knowing how it felt to lose family, he hadn't wanted his kids to go through the same ordeal but there was no help for it. They'd already lost their mother, they weren't going to lose their father as well.

He frowned to himself. Only now did he realize that they had never once cried for Ginny.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Ron asked, noticing the look on Harry's face.

"Is it just me or are the kids not worried that Ginny's not coming home?" Harry asked, curious if Draco had noticed the same thing.

Draco frowned in thought. "Come to think of it, they have taken it in stride. I can ask Rebecca if they've said anything to her." He turned to look at Ron and George. "Did she drop the kids off at your parents often?"

It was Ron's turn to frown. "I don't think so. But then, if she was trying to bring back You-Know-Who, maybe they don't miss the terror she was putting them through."

Draco's eyes narrowed in thought. "You know, we can use that to our advantage."

"How so?" George asked, watching him curiously.

"Well, who says the elder Weasleys will do better raising Harry's children than they did with Ginny? Look at where she is now. Just because the rest of you didn't line up to join Him just goes to prove that they allowed her to get away with anything she wanted. It also goes to show that when she saw that Harry wasn't interested in her like she'd wanted when she first met him that she did everything she could to make sure she got him."

"That's right," Ron said as he caught on to what Draco was saying. "Her diary said as much. She was willing to do _anything_ to make Harry her own."

"Do you still have it?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Yeah, actually, I do. Mum wanted it out of the house. She wanted me to burn it, really, but I wanted to reread it before she did, so I… kinda snuck it out of the house," Ron said sheepishly.

George's eyebrows rose into his hairline. "Ron," he exclaimed, impressed with his younger brother's initiative. "I didn't think you had it in you!"

"I didn't do it to help. I just wanted to reread it," he mumbled, blushing in embarrassment.

He never would have thought he'd ever have a civil conversation with any Weasley and here he had two of them in his home. Would wonders never cease? But this was for Harry. "Can you bring the diary here? I'm sure it'll come in handy if we need some proof that they allowed her to get away with it all," Draco said as he stood up and turning to look at Ron.

"Sure. Anything to help out. I think Mum and Dad are wrong to do this. I never thought they'd be capable of ripping a family apart just for revenge," Ron said with a sad shake of his head. "It makes me wonder just what they'd try if Viviane and I were to have a falling out with them, especially now that she's expecting our first child."

"Congratulations, Ron," Harry said with a genuine smile. "I'd heard, but hadn't had the chance to talk to you since then. How far along is she?"

"Five months," Ron said proudly, sitting up straighter in his chair. "We're hoping for a boy, but," he said shrugging, "we'll be happy in any case - as long as it's healthy."

"Well said," George said with a laugh, clapping Ron on the shoulder.

Draco walked over to the desk and penned a quick note. "Tammy!" he called out when he was done.

The house-elf Apparated next to him and bowed. "Master?"

"See that an owl delivers this as soon as possible," Draco told her as he handed her the letter. "And let the other house-elves know we're having company for supper."

"Yes, Master," Tammy said, bowing again before she Apparated away.

"And now we wait," Draco murmured, sliding his hands in his pockets. "Are you two staying for supper?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, as if he'd just asked if they were enjoying the weather.

Ron and George looked at him like he'd just grown a second head. George was the first one to recover. "Sure, why not. Is it alright if I bring Alicia?" George's wife hadn't had much occasion to get out of the house, especially since they lived above the shop. Harry was sure that she was ready to start climbing walls, alone with their two kids all day.

Draco shrugged. "The more the merrier. And will you bring Viviane as well?" he asked Ron. Yes, he hated the Weasleys but they were, after all, Harry's family and if they were willing to stand up to their parents on his behalf, he could be civil towards them.

Ron stammered a little. "Sure, I'm sure she'd enjoy the company."

"Come back around four, that way the kids can get used to each other and play before supper," Draco told them, knowing they were going to need some time to get used to the idea of being invited to Malfoy manor. "And please keep it casual. I don't stand on ceremony as much as my mother and father once did."

Ron and George were still slightly stunned as they made their way to the Floo room. When they were gone, Harry started laughing. "What?" Draco asked, amused, an eyebrow raised.

"You could have told them you strip down and run around the yard naked and they wouldn't have been so flabbergasted," Harry gasped, clutching at his side as it began to hurt.

The other eyebrow rose to join the first. "Honestly, Harry. Why would I want to do such a _scandalous_ thing like that?" he said before he laughed at Harry, who couldn't seem to catch his breath.

"Oh, stop," he gasped, leaning back against the wall for support, drawing deep breaths to get control of himself. "Just wait 'til they find out Snape is here as well." He looked over at Draco and they both started laughing again.

"And just _what_ is so funny?" the man in question drawled from the doorway.

It took both young men a few minutes more before they could answer him… which Harry could do as long as he didn't look at the old professor for a little bit.

"We have two of the Weasley families coming for supper tonight," Draco told him after taking a few deep breaths.

Snape's eyebrow rose in question. "Which ones?"

"George and his family and Ron and his wife," Harry said, still smiling but at least not laughing.

"Why?"

"Because they're the only ones out of all the Weasleys not trying to take Harry's children away from him," Draco told the old professor. "And since Harry and I are seeing each other, I figured I'd be nice to whatever family he has left."

Both of Snape's eyebrows rose at this. "And just how are the rest of the Weasleys trying to take the children away?"

"Let's go talk in the study," Draco murmured as he heard some whispering from outside the room. "It'll be more private."

As the three men made their way down the hall, Rebecca slapped James on the shoulder. "I told you we were making too much noise. Now we'll never know what your grandparents are going to use as ammunition against Harry. I don't want you guys to leave." She was close to tears. She was going to be left alone again!

"Don't worry, Becca. Dad won't let them take us away. Besides, if they do, Sirius and I will take Lily and Floo to Grimmauld Place and then here. They can't keep us there. It might take a couple of days, but we'll be back," James assured her with an arm around her shoulders.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course… besides, they have to find us in this place first. There's a lot of places to hide that only the house-elf would be able to find us if they tried. And I know they won't let them take Lily away. They enjoy having to take care of her. Dad had to threaten them to be able to spend an hour a night with her," he told her with an air that said he knew what he was talking about.

Rebecca still looked unsure. She wanted to believe him, but the thought of being left alone by herself again weighed heavily on her mind.

"Don't worry," Sirius murmured as he gave her a hug. It always made him feel better when someone hugged him. It was sure to help her. He looked up at her, little face hopeful. She smiled at him and hugged him back. His smile widened as he took her hand and began pulling her towards the back. "Let's go watch the house-elves levitate those benches for Grandfather."

Laughing, she allowed herself to be pulled along as the boys took off at a run down the hallway. Maybe it would be alright. Harry didn't look like the type of person who would willingly let his kids be taken from him.

"So that's going to be their angle," Snape murmured, eyes narrowed. "Yes, I can see how it would work… if it wasn't for the fact that Miranda's more like a sister to you, Harry. A very poor attempt on their part, though."

"They also don't seem to realize that you're also living here, otherwise it would just add more fuel to their fire," Harry said with a sigh, rubbing tiredly at his face. Why couldn't they just be happy for him? What had he ever done to them that merited this kind of torment? He looked up at Snape. "Do you think this cleansing ceremony will work?"

Snape shook his head. "I don't know. We'll see when they do it. Are you going to want the Weasleys here when that begins?" he asked both young men.

"I figure we'll have time. They won't do the ceremony until it gets dark," Harry said with a shrug. "Grandfather's going to want to spend some time outside before the ceremony begins. Long Feather will more than likely stay upstairs with Miranda, getting her mentally prepared. We shouldn't have to explain anything to them at all."

Snape looked at Harry in surprise. "And just how do you know all this?"

"Miranda told me about these ceremonies when we were younger. I'm not quite sure how it all works, but she said it can do wonders sometimes."

Snape frowned in thought. "I found something that could help Miranda get better if this ceremony doesn't work."

"What?" Harry asked in surprise. "How? Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"Because, Mr. Potter, before I didn't know how it would work. But today, you gave me the answer I was looking for."

"Me?"

"Yes. You remember when you touched her today, how your touching her skin blistered your hand and her neck?" Harry nodded, unsure where this was going. "Your magic can save her, with the help of a ritual I found in an old book."

"How?" Draco asked, frowning.

Snape pulled a book from a robe pocket and opened it to a page. "As far as I can tell, we need a powerful wizard and two witnesses. Unfortunately, all parties have to be standing. Since Miranda can't stand, I'll act as her witness."

"And I'll act as Harry's," Draco said without hesitation. Harry shot him a grateful look.

"I still have to do some studying, the spells are pretty straightforward. I'm going to have to make a trip to Diagon Alley for a few of the ingredients I'll need, but I should have everything ready for tonight. That way, we'll be prepared in case something goes wrong."

"Why don't we get the ingredients for you?" Harry suggested, looking from Snape to Draco. "That way it'll give you more time to study the book, and we can take the kids on an outing. I'm sure they're tired of being cooped up.

"Sure," Draco murmured with a shrug. He needed to check in on his staff anyway. They were probably wondering what had become of him. "Alban!" he called out.

The house-elf appeared instantly. "Yes, Master?"

"Find the children and make sure they're dressed appropriately, please. We're going out this afternoon."

"Yes, Master Draco."

Snape nodded and took a sheet of paper from the desk and wrote down the ingredients they need to get for him. "Here you go."

Draco took the paper from him and read it carefully. "Easily done," he told the old professor.

"Good. Bring them up to the lab the moment you return."

Harry and Draco walked out of the den and into the Floo room, where the children waited impatiently for the adults. "Can we get some ice cream, Dad?" Sirius asked, bouncing beside Harry.

"If you're good," he told the boy as he ruffled his hair. He noticed a house-elf standing there with Lily. "Thank you," he murmured as he took her, laying her sleeping head on his shoulder.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Draco asked as he walked into the room followed by Rebecca.

"You're coming too?" Sirius asked, jumping in excitement. "Dad said if we're good, we can have ice cream!"

Harry laughed as he arranged the boys to Floo to Diagon Alley. "We have to hurry, though. Your uncles George and Ron are coming for supper."

"You're not leaving Lily at home?" Draco asked when he saw the little girl's sleeping body in Harry's arms.

"I figured if we meet up with them, this'll give them less ammo to use," Harry explained with a slight shrug. He really wanted to leave her at home to rest, but feared the Weasley clan not on his side might scream neglect.

Draco nodded in understanding and gestured for him to lead the way. "James, you come with me and Rebecca. That way you Dad can take Sirius and Lily through at the same time."

James looked up at Harry, the question clear in his eyes. "Go ahead, James. It's alright. I trust him."

The boy sighed and waited for Harry and Sirius to get into the fireplace. "Sirius, if you'll take a handful of Floo powder, drop it and say clearly Diagon Alley like I've shown you before, we'll head out."

Sirius nodded and did as Harry said. "Diagon Alley," he said clearly, little hand in Harry's, before he dropped the Floo powder.

Draco was impressed. He hadn't thought Harry would've shown his kids how to use the Floo networks. He moved into the fireplace and took both kids' hands in his own. "You know what to do as well, James?"

James nodded and took a handful of Floo powder. "Diagon Alley."

Draco was surprised at how quick this shopping trip had gone. And it was only an hour since they'd left.

They'd gone to all the stores Snape had mentioned and got all the ingredients they were after. Now the kids were leading them towards the ice cream parlor as fast as they could drag the adults. He laughed as James and Sirius pulled Harry while Rebecca pushed from behind, finding he was walking too slow.

It helped that Draco had Lily, who was burbling away, clapping her hands as she watched her brothers, allowing the boys to each have a hand. "Let's go, Dad. You promised!" James said, laughing. Harry dragged his feet on purpose, enjoying watching his children try to drag him along as much as they were enjoying dragging him. It also seemed that Rebecca was enjoying joining the boys. It was great that she was willing to join in the fun. Draco had been worried that she'd hang back instead.

"Hello, James, Sirius." Draco watched as the laughing stopped at the sound of Arthur Weasley's voice. Rebecca moved away from Harry and back to her father, unsure what was going on as the tension began to grow around them.

The boys looked a little wary around the elder Weasley, moving closer to Harry, still holding on to his hands. "Hi, Granddad," they murmured. Harry was a little sad. Usually they would have jumped all over the man, but they still remembered their last time at the Burrow.

Arthur's eyes narrowed, probably thinking it was Harry's doing that was preventing the boys from greeting him as they usually did. "Harry, I'm going to give you one more chance to abide by the agreement we talked about the other day."

Harry's eyebrows rose at the phrasing. Almost like they were talking about a contract that he wanted signed. Is that all the kids were to them? A means to an end? "I'm sorry, Arthur. I can't do that. My children will be remaining with me, despite what you and Molly say. If you can't see past the fact that Ginny's where she is because of her own choices, then I'm sorry for you both. My kids aren't going to be used as pawns in your games."

Harry looked back at Draco and noticed other people standing around them, closing his fingers around the boys' hands as they moved even closer to him a look of alarm on their little faces. The look he gave Draco told him all the blond needed to know as he took hold of Rebecca's hand and tightened his hold on Lily, who had also stilled, green eyes wide, watching the new threat. He hadn't thought the Weasleys would try something so public. They were really determined to get the kids.

"I'm not giving you a choice on this, Harry. Do you really think that the courts will give you, a man living with another man and a woman who isn't related to you, custody of these kids? Who knows what you're subjecting them to," Arthur said, anger clear on his face.

"And who told you there was a woman living at Malfoy manor?" Harry asked, though he had an idea who had opened his big mouth about all this, though he probably hadn't thought about it before he'd said anything.

"Ron told us about her the night of the supper. Shame on you, Harry. Ginny hadn't even been out of the picture for more than twelve hours when you brought her into the picture. How long had you been sleeping with her?"

Harry was surprised at the insinuation, but it did confirm where they'd heard of Miranda. At least Ron had kept his mouth shut about Snape. "She's not sleeping with Dad," James told Arthur angrily. "She's our friend and you're being mean for no reason."

"That's enough, James," Arthur snapped, glaring at the boy, who glared back.

Harry's fingers tightened a little on James's, who looked up at Harry. "Let it go. It's not worth fighting about something that isn't true," he told him gently.

James nodded but went back to glaring at his grandfather. He was going to be as hot headed as he'd been when he was younger.

"This is your last chance, Harry. Let the kids come home with me and we'll forget about this," Arthur told him, ignoring James and Sirius, who was looking at the adults with fear in his eyes.

Harry's hold on the boys tightened. "No, and there's no law that states that I _have_ to. You forget, Arthur, I worked as an Auror and know my rights. If you persist, you'll lose. I won't lose my family, not to you or anyone else."

He waited to see what the men were going to do, tensing in anticipation.

"Then you give me no choice," Arthur said and nodded to the men, who began moving towards the family. Draco Apparated away with Rebecca and Lily at the same time as Harry Apparated with the boys.

They appeared in the Manor foyer where Lily began crying and screaming in fear.

Harry reached for her and held her comfortingly. "It's alright, Lily. Daddy's here, sweetheart," he murmured as she clung to him, rubbing her back until she calmed down.

Draco was frowning in thought.

"Why did he think he could have us, Dad?" James asked, tugging on his sleeve to get Harry's attention.

"They're just hurting, James. People sometimes do strange things when they hurt. Don't worry. You're not going anywhere if I can help it. Why don't you, Sirius and Rebecca see if you can help Grandfather? He should still be in the garden with the house-elf.

James' look told him he wasn't fooled by the distraction, but he allowed Sirius and Rebecca to drag him towards the back of the manor.

A house-elf appeared beside Harry, looking up at him expectantly. "You feeling better, baby?" Harry asked gently in Lily's ear. She was still hiccupping, but nodded, rubbing her face against Harry's shoulder and he tried not to cringe at the thought of her wiping her snot on his clothes. The look on Draco's face told him that he was thinking the same thing. "Do you want to go to the back with James and Sirius?"

She looked up at him with bright green eyes and nodded again, then she noticed the house-elf smiling at her and she reached down towards her. Harry allowed the house-elf to take Lily from him and watched as the creature skipped away with the little girl.


	8. Chapters 22 to 25

Beta'd by Bubba and Lady Katye

Chapter 22 - Healing the Dying Pt 2

Harry sighed and pulled out his wand, casting a simple Cleaning Spell on his clothes to get rid of the snot Lily had wiped on him. "What am I going to do about the Weasleys?" he asked tiredly. He was so _tired_ of fighting with everyone, especially with people who were supposed to be his family.

A new house-elf appeared next to Draco, holding a letter out to him. "Don't worry, Harry. You have the law on your side. Thank you," he murmured as he opened it and frowned at what it said. "Apparently it can get worse."

Harry looked at him incredulously. "It can?" He took the letter Draco held out to him and read it. "They're not serious! Are they mental?" Draco's contact had written back with the news that the Weasleys had proof that Harry was subjecting his children to 'unscrupulous actions'.

"We have to talk to Severus. Maybe he can think of something we haven't thought of yet," Draco said as he walked towards the stairs. Harry followed, wondering what he was going to do about the Weasleys.

Snape listened with a frown as Draco outlined the whole Weasley problem. "By Wizarding law, if they can prove that you're endangering your children, they _can_ take them. I'm just trying to figure out how they can prove something that isn't even true. And you say they don't know I'm here too?" Draco nodded. "We can use that to our advantage. Let me think on this for now. I have to get the ingredients ready for our own ceremony… just in case."

"You don't think the cleansing ceremony's going to work, do you?" Harry asked, and the funny thing was, he had the same feeling.

Snape looked at him, wondering if Harry was accusing him of something, When he saw no accusation in his eyes, he shook his head. "When I tested the last batch of blood I took from Miranda, it showed something interesting. It seems the prolonged exposure to the potions is changing her physiology, unfortunately it's killing rather that saving her."

"So the only way to save her is to speed up the change, which is where I come in, right?" Harry asked, frowning as he took in the information

Snape looked surprised that he'd picked up on that fact as fast as he had. Usually, Harry would've had to have someone almost spell it out for him before he got the point of a lecture. "Yes, but the ritual is very old and complicated. I'm going to need both of you there if we have to take over saving her. Draco will be there as your witness and I'll be Miranda's since we can't ask anyone in her family. We'd probably just end up with the same problem with them as we're having with her. I just didn't want to say anything in front of them. We're _supposed_ to have her permission as well, but I think that by the time we get our chance, she won't be in any shape to resist."

"What if I talk to her? Ask her if it's okay to do this if what they're doing doesn't work? I'm sure she'll agree. She doesn't want to die, after all," Harry said with a shrug.

"The thing is, Mr. Potter," Snape drawled as the obvious seemed to have escaped Harry's notice. "Once we're done with this ceremony, she'll have to remain here. This will change her completely into one of us, in effect, your blood-sister. There's no telling what other kind of changes this will bring. If she begins to display magical powers, we'll have to teach her how to control it. Also, she's going to have to learn how the Wizarding world works. Since you're still trying to figure that out, that leaves Draco and myself to teach her… and you."

Harry rolled his eyes at the crack on but he didn't argue, knowing it was true. "Still, I'd feel better if she's prepared for this instead of just dumping it on her after the fact. I know when I was first introduced to the Wizarding world, I didn't know the first thing about what was going on. No one explained anything to me, they just assumed I knew everything."

Snape's eyebrows rose at that admission. "Dumbledore didn't even tell you what being a wizard meant?"

"Please, the only thing I knew was that anyone who was in Slytherin was going to turn out like Voldemort, a power-hungry wizard or witch. And I got that from Ron. Instead of being put in Slytherin like the hat wanted, I asked to be put in any other house but."

Snape felt like his eyebrows were going to take up permanent residence in his hairline if Potter didn't stop surprising him with all these revelations. "And Dumbledore didn't even try to correct the misconception, of course," he drawled rhetorically.

"Oh, that reminds me," Draco murmured, eyes twinkling in amusement. "Two of the Weasley clan are coming for supper."

He almost laughed when Snape's head snapped to look at him. "Which ones?"

"Ron and George."

Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And I don't suppose I can bow out of this little soirée?"

"No, they already know you're here. We can also bring Miranda down. She should eat with us since they seem to think she's part of this problem," Draco told him with an innocent look on his face.

Snape's scowl deepened. He'd hoped to get out of dealing with the Weasleys but he was out of luck. "Fine. Get out of here so I can work on this ritual. And Mr. Potter," Snape said as they turned to leave the room. "Talk to Miranda. Tell her my suspicions, but keep it simple. The less complicated you make it, the better our chances of getting her to agree."

"Yes, sir."

Harry nodded to Long Feather when he and Draco walked into Miranda's room. She was awake now, resting tiredly against her pillows. Long Feather nodded back. "Can I talk to Miranda alone?" he asked politely.

Long Feather looked over at Miranda, not quite sure if he wanted to leave his sister alone with them. Miranda nodded to him and smiled at Harry. "What's up?" she asked curiously.

Long Feather rose and walked out of the room. Harry found him a little eerie. The man didn't talk much unless he knew you well enough, he only walked around watching everything.

He waited until the door was closed behind Long Feather before he sat down on the bed beside Miranda. Draco stood quietly at the foot of the bed. "Are you feeling up to having supper with us tonight?" he asked, looking at her pale face worriedly.

"If it means I can get out of bed, I'm game," she murmured with a mischievous smile. "What's really wrong, Harry? You look worried."

"Ron and his brother George are coming for supper with their families," he said with a dismissive shrug. "Though I think it's more to make sure that the rumors aren't true."

"Which rumors?" she asked in apprehension.

"That Draco and I aren't sleeping with you," he told her, waiting for it. He wasn't disappointed when she started laughing, gasping in pain.

"You might have to wait until I can get the energy to join in," she gasped, tears filling her eyes, though Harry wasn't sure if it was because of the pain or because she couldn't stop laughing. "So, I'm to be paraded in front of them to make sure I'm not trying to scar your kids beyond repair?" she asked softly when she managed to get herself under control.

"Yeah," Harry said with an apologetic look on his face. "I don't really want to put you through this, but if they see you're just a friend, maybe the rest of the Weasleys' case will fall apart."

"What do you mean?" she asked in alarm. "I thought everything was resolved?"

"The Weasleys are using the fact that Harry's in the Manor with another man and woman doing Gods know what in front of his children. It's a load of shit, but they're desperate enough to try anything at this point," Draco told her when Harry hesitated.

"When did this come about?"

"We went to Diagon Alley today. You remember me describing it to you, right?" Miranda tried to remember what Harry had told her years ago and nodded. "We took the children with us. When we went to go get some ice cream, Arthur – Ginny's father – tried to take the kids again, saying they have some kind of proof."

Miranda's eyebrows rose at that. "How can they have something that doesn't exist?" Then she frowned. "This reminds me of an incident at home where the police tried to get a confession out of one of my cousins. They told him they had proof he'd done the crime, but he had alibis which proved otherwise. Later we found out that there _was_ no proof. It had all been a ruse."

Draco frowned at Miranda. "What are police?"

"The Muggle version of Aurors," Harry answered as he thought about what she'd said. "So this could all be a trick to see what we'll do."

"Exactly, because we know there _is_ no proof. I'm sorry, Harry, but I know you too well to actually think of you as anything as a friend."

"Don't worry," he said with a smirk. "I don't see you in that light either. Besides, I think Draco might object." He laughed as Draco smacked him on the shoulder in reproach.

"Watch it, Potter," he mock growled. "But that's not the only reason we came to talk to you."

"Oh? What else is there?" she asked curiously.

"Well, Snape doesn't really believe that the cleansing ceremony will work and wants your permission to have a backup plan ready in case we need it," Harry told her, watching her carefully, wondering if she would take offense.

She thought about that for a minute before she sighed. "Might as well. This way, if we need it, then we'll have one. It's better than being caught with our pants down."

Draco's eyebrow rose at the metaphor, not really understanding it.

"It means it's better to hope for the best, but prepared for the worst," she explained. "If we have a plan before we need it, it's better to be safe than sorry. What'll we need to do?"

"We're not quite sure what's going to happen. He's being very tight lipped about all of it," Harry said with a sigh. "Though he did say that if we do this, you'll have to live here with us."

He held his breath, waiting for her reaction. Her eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

He sighed and thought about how to explain this to her. "It means you won't be able to go home with your grandfather and brother," Draco said, knowing Harry was struggling. "What Severus does, if your ceremony doesn't work, will not only cure you, but make you Harry's blood sister." The look she gave him told him clearly she didn't see what the problem was. "It'll make you one of us, with magic to learn to control."

Her eyes widened and she looked at Harry, looking to see if he was joking. Harry nodded to tell her he was serious. "It's true. You'll have to learn from us how to control the magic. We just don't know how much you'll have, but no one in your group and family knows what we do or how to control it."

Miranda closed her eyes as she took in what they were telling her.

"Would it really be that bad to live in the Wizarding world?" Draco asked, frowning in confusion. It wasn't _that_ bad here.

"Would you like it if someone told you 'we can save you but you can never go home again'?" she asked him softly.

Draco frowned at that. She had a point. "Knowing this though, are you still willing to go through it?"

She sighed tiredly, probably wondering if she had any choice. He could see her point, though. It was either going through with Snape's plan or die if the ceremony didn't work… which if what was said was true, the ceremony was just going to make it worse, not better.

"This had something to do with all the blood he's been drawing, isn't it?" she asked, opening her eyes to look at them.

"It does," Harry told her, determined not to lie to her. She needed to know what was going on. "He found that the potions they gave you are changing you.. but it's also killing you because it's not going fast enough."

"Will the ceremony even work?"

"We don't think so. In fact Severus thinks it might make it worse," Draco told her, realizing what Harry was doing.

"Why didn't he say anything before?"

"Because he didn't have any idea how to use the ritual he'd found… until I touched you earlier. My magic helped ease the pain you were in. That's what gave him the idea that it would work. I wanted you to have a choice in this, though, not just spring this on you after the fact."

"Yeah, I can see how you'd want that," she murmured, knowing how he'd hated being left out of the decisions that affected his life.

"I'll talk to Grandfather and Long Feather. If there's no point in going through the cleansing ritual, why bother. When does Severus want to do this ritual?"

"Sometime after supper, once Ron and George have left, more than likely. Do you think you'll be able to hold on that long?" Draco asked, frowning at her. She seemed to be… wilting. It was the only way he could describe it.

"What time is supper?" she asked, changing the subject before Harry could become depressed by his thoughts.

"In a little while. Want me to take you downstairs?" Harry asked, watching her.

"What about Grandfather and Long Feather?" she asked with a frown.

"It might be better if Ron and George don't see them. I'll go ask them if they want to have their supper outside where they wanted to do the ceremony, or even in another room," Draco murmured with a soft smile. He was beginning to like Miranda. She had a lot of spirit and didn't take crap from anyone. She also didn't rant or hem and haw about what was going on or couldn't control. "The less Ron and George know, the less information they have if this goes to court and are asked about who was here. Just having me and you in the same house with Harry and the kids is already causing a stir. Imagine if it was five men and a woman."

"Point taken. I'd like to take a bath and change clothes before we have supper. Do you have anything appropriate I can wear? I only have the one outfit. I wasn't exactly planning on staying when I came through," Miranda said wryly.

"I'll see what I can find. Jarett!" Draco called.

"I'll go find your grandfather and Long Feather," Harry told them before he bent and kissed Miranda on the forehead. "Don't worry. You won't be alone here. I'll take care of you," he promised her softly before he rose and left the room.

The house-elf appeared, bowing. "Yes, Master?"

"Help Miranda. She wants to take a bath," he told the creature, who bowed again and headed into the washroom to prepare the bath, the ever-present ribbons bouncing as he moved. Draco nodded and left the room. He was going to have to send Tammy with a letter requesting a dress with Miranda's measurements. She looked to be the same size Pansy had been, but they should still have her measurements. "Tammy!" he called as he went down the stairs.

The house-elf appeared at the bottom. "Master?"

"Follow me," he ordered as he walked into his study. He penned a quick note with instruction and handed it to Tammy. "Take this to Madam Malkin's and wait for the package. Bring it to me when you get it."

"Yes, Master." Tammy took the letter and Apparated away.

He was confident the errand would be carried out to his specifications. Now he had to go find Snape and tell him the change in plans before he went to get ready for supper. His guests should be arriving in an hour.

Which reminded him…

"Alban!"

The house-elf at the top of the stairs Draco was climbing. He was definitely getting his exercise today, he thought ruefully.

"Master Draco?" the house-elf asked, watching him curiously.

"Harry went to the gardens. Find him and remind him to get ready for supper. Our guests should be here in about an hour. And make sure the kids are clean and ready too."

"Yes, Master."

Draco continued down the hallway with a heavy sigh. If he'd known how many things would've happened today, he might have postponed the invitation to supper until tomorrow, but he'd figured getting it out of the way as soon as possible was best. He'd wanted at least two of the Weasley clan on their side when the shit hit the fan… which, if his observations were correct, was going to be soon, very soon.

He knocked on Snape's door and waited for the old Potions master to acknowledge the intrusion.

"What?" Snape snapped when Draco walked in.

"Miranda's decided to forego the cleansing ceremony and go with the ritual you want instead," he told the older man.

Snape's eyebrows rose in astonishment. "What brought that about?"

"Harry explained our concerns to her and she agreed that if it's not going to help, why bother," Draco told him with a nonchalant shrug.

"I didn't think she'd be so reasonable about this," he murmured in surprise.

"I've noticed that she's even tempered and listens to what she's been told before making a decision about anything," Draco told him with a lopsided grin, remembering their first encounter.

"Explain."

"You know how well I can intimidate people when they cross me, right?" he laughed as Snape rolled his eyes. "Well, the first time we met, she was sitting across from Harry and me. She managed to help Harry calm down. I was a little put out that she'd managed it without help, so I was glaring at her…"

"Like you usually do when you're jealous," Snape drawled, ignoring the face Draco made.

"Anyway, she just told me to sit down and stop being an ass. She wasn't even fazed by my attitude, or yours for that matter. Remember how she greeted you?"

"Yes," Snape murmured with a frown. "She seemed more surprised than intimidated, which is unusual. Even Muggles avoid me on the streets." He shook his head, pushing the thought away. "Well, everything's ready for tonight. I'll go get ready for supper. What are we going to do with Miranda's family?"

"Harry's already downstairs talking to them. He'll explain to them what's going on. They'll either have their supper out there or in a different room."

"Good. The less the Weasleys know about what's happening here, the better."

When Harry was dressed, he went down the hall to collect Miranda. He was eager to see what Draco had picked out for her. She was sitting in the chair when he walked in. He stopped in his tracks. "Wow," he murmured as he took in the sight. Her long hair was tied back in an intricate pattern. The light blues and greens of the dress brought out the highlights and ribbons in her hair, making her look stunning.

She looked over at him, and he could tell she thought it was too much.

"If I wasn't interested in Draco," he murmured, looking her over again. "I might take you away from here."

"I heard that," Draco drawled from the doorway.

Miranda chuckled as Harry whirled around in surprise. "Sorry," he murmured sheepishly. "I thought you said this was a casual dinner?" he asked gesturing at how elegant Miranda looked.

"We are. I just forget to tell the house-elves. They've been beside themselves since Pansy died. They love playing with women's hair. The only problem is Rebecca isn't old enough to go to all the parties out there, so they can't show their talent off," Draco explained.

Miranda shrugged indifferently. "I don't mind. Is it time for supper already?"

"Not quite, but I figured you'd like to get out of this room for a while," Harry told her as he walked over to her.

"That'd be nice."

Harry smiled as he picked her up. She felt so light in his arms that he frowned. "Have you been eating?"

Miranda looked away guiltily. "I haven't had much of an appetite lately," she murmured quietly.

When Harry turned towards the door, he saw Draco frowning at them. "If you don't eat properly, you'll only get sicker," he told her, pushing his hair behind his ear.

"Please," she begged, laying her head on Harry's shoulder, closing her eyes tiredly. Apparently this wasn't the first time she was hearing this… probably from Snape who would've been watching her carefully. "Don't start."

Draco's mouth tightened in disapproval but didn't say anymore, simply gestured for Harry to move ahead of him. Downstairs, Harry put her down in the chair facing the door so she could see everyone coming in. It'd save her from trying to turn around whenever someone came into the room. "Want anything to drink?"

Sirius rushed over to her, and Harry worried that he might hurt her, but when the boy got closer, he slowed down and hugged her gently. "Miranda! You're up!"

"Water, please," she murmured as she rearranged the folds of her dress around her legs. "Hi, Sirius. Are you being good?" she asked with a fond smile as the little boy looked up at her. James came over as well, but a little slower, though he gave her a hug, too.

Draco followed him over to the bar, pouring himself a drink, leaving Miranda to be entertained by the two boys. Rebecca still had to make an appearance. "I had to shrink the dress to fit her," he murmured softly, when he was sure no one would overhear.

"I figured. Maybe once she's feeling better, she'll gain the weight she's lost," Harry murmured, hoping he was right and that Snape was right as well. He didn't want Miranda to die because of him, and it was his fault. If he hadn't involved her in the first place, she wouldn't be in the predicament she was in now.

"Mm. We'll know more by morning."

Just then, George and his wife were led in by a house-elf, his kids running ahead of them. They greeted their cousins noisily.

"Good to see you again, George," Draco murmured, moving forward to shake hands with them. "Alicia, how are you?" Harry nodded to them as he walked by to give Miranda her glass of water.

Rebecca chose that moment to walk into the room and walked over to the new kids who were with her new friends. It was a little awkward at first, but soon all of them were playing games in the far corner of the room, ignoring the adults.

"Well, that didn't take long," Alicia murmured with an amused smile, watching them.

Draco grinned and gestured for them to sit down. "Anything to drink?"

Snape swept into the room then, frowning at Miranda for a second before his face became unreadable as he went to stand beside her chair without making it obvious he was hovering.

The couple shook their heads and went to sit on the couch, casting Miranda a few looks. Harry could see the question burning in their eyes, though they didn't want to be rude and ask who she was. "George, Alicia, this is Miranda, my oldest friend."

George's eyebrows rose at that. "I didn't think you had friends before you came to Hogwarts, Harry," he said as he shook hands with Miranda.

"Harry doesn't like to talk about his childhood all that much," Miranda murmured with a small smile.

Draco was impressed and from the look in Snape's eyes he was too, though he wouldn't say it in front of their guests. She'd confirmed she was Harry's oldest friend without letting any other information about how they'd become friends out. She would've been great in Slytherin. She was very diplomatic. And with the way she'd phrased it, it meant they couldn't ask - without prying - just how they'd met. This was great!

"You're one of Ginny's brothers?" she asked before the silence could drag on.

"Yes, one of them," George nodded, with a smile, though he obviously didn't quite know what to make of Miranda. "This is my wife Alicia." The woman nodded at Miranda.

"The surviving twin?" Miranda asked, looking over at Harry.

"Yes. George and Alicia run Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes since Fred died," Harry told her as he watched her interact with George, trying not to laugh at the look on the red-head's face.

"Ah, yes, that's the one you're a partner in, isn't it?"

Harry's eyes grew bigger when she said it. He'd forgotten he'd told her. Snape's and Draco's heads whipped around to look at Harry. "Yeah, that'd be the one," he murmured sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"How did you manage to become a partner in that shop?" Draco asked curiously.

Ron chose that moment to walk in with his wife, distracting the group from the question… for now. The look Draco threw him told Harry that he wanted to talk to him further about his business practices.

"Hi again, Ron," Miranda murmured, getting tired already. She looked like she wanted this to be over with as soon as possible.

"Miranda? I'm surprised to see you up and about," Ron said in surprise as he noticed her sitting there.

"Well, not exactly up and around," Snape drawled sarcastically. They watched as color crawled up Ron's face, but he held himself back from snapping back.

"Supper is ready," Draco said when he noticed the house-elf motioning to him. The kids cheered and walked quickly to the dining room.

Harry went to pick up Miranda, but Snape leaned over and helped her to stand. "Hang on to my arm and walk slowly," he heard Snape murmur softly into her ear.

She nodded and did as he said. As the others were already moving, none of them noticed when Miranda nearly fell back into her chair. Snape's arm caught her around the waist and he nodded for Harry to follow the guests. "Go with them."

Harry looked worried, but nodded anyway, following his guests.

"Take your time. Don't rush. If they think there's nothing wrong with you, they won't be able to say anything contrary if questioned," Snape told her when he noticed she was biting her lip, probably to keep from crying in pain. "I'll help you."

"I don't think I can do this," she whispered, nearly in tears.

"Yes you can. Just think of it as another couple of hours and then they'll leave. Once they're gone we can do the ritual and get you feeling better," Snape told her. He didn't think he'd ever have patience for someone else and was surprised he did.

He watched as Miranda took a deep breath and nodded in determination. She still managed to surprise him. He'd expected her to whimper and whine that they were expecting too much from her, but she didn't say anything. In fact, in all the time she'd been sick, she hadn't said or done anything he'd expected.

He led her slowly to the dining room, holding on to her without making it apparent that he was doing so and led her to one of the two vacant chairs. Snape was amused to see that Harry and Draco had left two chairs beside each other empty, telling him that he was to sit beside Miranda.

He sat her beside Viviane and sat next to Draco. He felt her relax when she slid into the chair, but none of it showed on her face. He was impressed.

Talk at the table was mostly held between Alicia, Viviane, Ron, George, Harry and Draco. Snape answered questions when asked, but preferred to sit back and watch, keeping an eye on just how much food made it into Miranda.

"You need to eat a bit more," he murmured in her ear an hour later when he noticed she was only pushing her food around her plate, frowning when she shook her head. That's when he noticed she was sweating slightly.

"I can't," she murmured back, looking at him with feverish eyes. "I don't feel too good."

"Can you hold on a little bit longer?" he asked in concern, supper was almost over.

She nodded and went back to pushing her food around her plate.

"So, Miranda," Alicia asked, not noticing the interchange between Snape and her. "How long are you here for?"

"I'm not quite sure. I haven't thought much about it," Miranda murmured, frowning slightly.

Harry looked over at Snape, who shook his head slightly. "Shall we go to the living room?" Draco asked as he pushed his chair away from the table, knowing they needed the distraction.

"Sure," George said, smiling at his wife as he helped her up. The kids walked quickly ahead of the adults as all but Harry and Draco went into the living room.

"What's up?" Draco asked as he glanced at the door before turning his attention back to Snape.

"I'm taking her back upstairs. She needs to rest," Snape told them as he rose to his feet.

"But won't that look suspicious if she doesn't come into the living room?" Harry asked, frowning in concern over Miranda. She really didn't look good.

"It's alright," Miranda whispered, though they could tell she just wanted to cry at the thought of walking back to the living room chair. She made to stand up, but her legs refused to support her and she fell down to her knees with a gasp.

Snape sighed angrily. "To hell with what they think," he snarled as he bent and picked her up, walking out of the door and towards the stairs.

Draco stopped Harry from following them. "We need to finish this evening quickly. She doesn't have much time left."

"Right." Harry nodded and walked quickly to the living room where everyone was quiet in surprise.

"Was that Snape walking out with Miranda?" Alicia asked, looking at them when they walked in.

"Yes, she's not feeling too good. I'm afraid we're going to have to cut this evening short," Draco told them. Everyone took the hint. George and Alicia rounded up their kids and ushered them towards the Floo room. "We'll do this again when Miranda's feeling better," he told them. He could tell they wanted to ask what was wrong, but didn't think it would be polite to ask.

Once everyone was gone, Draco and Harry hurried upstairs to see how she was doing. They met Snape at the door to her room. "We have to do this now. If we wait much longer, she won't survive. Take her outside to the area her grandfather prepared for their ceremony," he told them as he moved past them to get the things he needed.

"Can you tell the house-elves to keep the kids inside and out of the way?" Harry asked as he moved to the bed. Snape had removed her outer robe, leaving her with a tank top and the pants she'd arrived with. And the ribbons were gone. Harry realized she'd put her clothes on under her dress, probably hoping tonight would go faster that it had.

"Of course," Draco murmured as he headed downstairs to see what the kids were up to.

She appeared to be sleeping, though Harry could see slight tremors shaking her body. Picking her up, he hurried downstairs and down the hallway.

He walked quickly towards the trees, where he was met by Miranda's grandfather and brother. "You're going to have to go to the house," he told them as he laid her down on the bed, pulling a blanket around her so she wouldn't be cold.

"What happened?" Long Feather asked as he looked down at Miranda, frowning angrily at Harry.

"Listen, I don't have time for this. You can't stay here while we do the ritual. If you do, you'll be in the same shape Miranda's in. Please, go to the house," he asked them pleadingly.

Snape Apparated beside Harry and began putting down the things they were going to need. Long Feather opened his mouth to protest, but it was his grandfather who spoke. "Let's go, Long Feather," he murmured, gesturing for the younger man to go ahead of him.

Long Feather stomped angrily away.

"Take care of her, Harry," Grandfather murmured, waiting until Harry nodded before he followed.

Snape looked over at Harry. "Did you tell him anything about what we're doing?" he asked in surprise.

Harry shook his head in surprise. "Not a word. That man's always creeped me out growing up. It was almost like he could see the future or something."

The older man frowned in thought, remembering something Miranda had told him… So he was a Seer then. It explained a lot. Draco walked in quickly. "The kids are taken care of and I just passed Miranda's relatives. Her brother doesn't seem too happy."

"He didn't want to leave her here, but his grandfather told him he had to," Harry explained before turning to look at Snape. "What do we do?"

"Here." He handed each of them a bowl full of powder. "Make a circle on the ground with this, around the bed and around the fire pits Miranda's grandfather had the house-elf put in here. We're going to need them. Use it all."

Without a word, Harry and Draco did as they were told. Once done, the turned back to Snape.

"Stand on that side," he told them pointing on one side of the table. Moving quickly, he moved over to the bed and picked Miranda up, leaving the blanket on the bed. He held her against his chest, facing Harry. "Draco, get behind Potter. We don't have much time."

With a nod, Draco took a step back so that Harry was ahead of him.

"I'm going to need you to light the fires in the directions that I point, Draco, saying 'Luminarium Vorago'."

Both men nodded and Draco took out his wand.

"When I tell you to, Draco, you'll have to take the knife and cut Harry's palm. I'll take the other and do the same to Miranda. It also said you have to make a small cut on your thumb as you cut him," Snape said with a confused frown. He didn't get the reason behind that cut, but he didn't have time to reread that section right now.

"Which hand?" Draco asked, looking down at his hands. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, using your left hand to his left hand. It was very specific on that point."

Draco nodded and waited for Snape to begin.

"Harry, you're to stay where you are until after Draco's cut you. Afterwards, you have to take Miranda's hand in your, putting the cuts together. The blood mingling is what'll save her. Ignore anything else that happens and don't let go until I tell you."

With each fire Draco lit, the air grew heavier and heavier, making it seem like they were underwater or something. Harry inhaled sharply when the ritual began, it felt so oppressive. He could hear Snape saying something but it seemed distorted to his ears, almost like he was in a trance.

When Draco took the knife off the table and reached for Harry's hand, both men had to concentrate on what they were doing, feeling almost like they were in a trance. He watched as Draco's thumb was cut at the same time he was cutting Harry's palm, watched as some of their blood mixed, like it was in slow motion.

Harry blinked and looked up at Snape who was holding out Miranda's hand to him. Her eyes were slightly open and she looked like she was in pain, but no sound came from her. Harry took her hand in his, blood dripping down his hand and onto the table between them. He slid his hand until her cut was against his.

Her eyes opened wide and she stiffened in Snape's hold, though the other man didn't let her go.

It seemed to go on forever, but was probably only a few seconds. Light wound itself between Harry's and Miranda's hands, winding its way upward like fog until he had to close his eyes to keep from being blinded. He thought he saw the light envelope Snape's hand and arm too, but he wasn't sure.

He heard Draco gasp behind him, but couldn't make himself look back at him to see what was happening.

**Chapter 23 - Hermione's Revenge**

When the light vanished, Miranda was limp in Snape's arms again, eyes closed. On her arm was what looked like a serpent tattoo winding its way upwards with its head resting above her heart, its eyes an emerald colour. Its tail disappeared between her forefinger and thumb where the cut had been made. Around her wrist were two band-like ribbons twined together: one light blue, the other black, which also seemed to be wrapped around her hand and around her ring finger. It seemed Snape had the same colors around his own ring finger.

Frowning, Harry looked down at his own hand. A tattoo which looked eerily like fur ran from his now scarred palm to wind its way between his forefinger and thumb and around his arm, where animal paws and legs could be seen, and up over his shoulder, where the head came into view, stopping over his heart, where its nose rested, looking out at anyone who looked, its icy blue eyes looking like it could attack at any moment..

Around his wrist were two band-like ribbons as well, though his were green and silver. Looking over at Draco, he noticed the same band-like ribbons around his wrist, hand and ring finger in exactly the same colors as his.

What did this mean?

Snape picked Miranda up and laid her on the bed. Taking his wand out, he took a deep breath, hoping this wouldn't throw her into fits. He cast a quick diagnosis spell. When she didn't even twitch, he sighed in relief. "It worked," he murmured and did another diagnosis spell to see what it would give him.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and watched as Draco put out the fires.

The blast hit beside him, sending him flying into Draco. Both men went down in a pile of arms and legs.

Coughing, they rose to their feet. "What the fuck was that?" Draco asked, looking for Snape in the dust. When it cleared, they found him standing a few feet in front of them, looking at… something. "What happened?"

Harry gasped when he realized what had happened. Hermione stood in front of them, Miranda held against her chest with her wand pressed to her throat. "Thought you got away with it, didn't you, Harry?" Her hair was almost standing on end and her eyes looked crazed.

"What are you doing, Hermione? Nothing's going to bring Voldemort back now. The killing curse took care of that. It's what died that day instead of you. I know. Please don't do this," Harry begged, wondering what he could do to save Miranda.

A shadow moved behind the women, but Harry stilled himself, determined not to draw any attention to it… especially if it was someone on his side.

"I don't care anymore. You destroyed my one chance at being happy. Now it's too late, but I'm going to make sure you know how it feels to lose someone you love," she said, laughing maniacally. She raised her wand to cast the killing curse.

A streak of silver glinted in the light before burying itself into Hermione's shoulder. She screamed and dropped Miranda, whirling around to face her attacker. A streak of green shot from her wand before Harry and Draco could tackle her to the ground. A body was flung into the air to land in a heap on the other side of the trees.

Harry managed to pin her to the ground while Draco grabbed her wand. He held it out in both hands and broke it in two. Hermione screamed like someone had stabbed her and she began weeping, the fight gone from her.

Snape walked over as Harry moved off Hermione and using his wand, tied her up. "I'm sure the Aurors will want her intact… such as she is, anyway. You want to put her in one of your dungeons?" he asked Draco.

"Yeah. I'll have to reinforce the wards around it so she doesn't get away," he murmured as he lifted her up and Apparated away.

Harry rose to his feet and moved over to where he'd seen the body fly, leaving Snape to check on Miranda. He had an idea who it was, but he wanted to make sure first. Walking over to the body, he felt his heart sink as he realized who it was.

Miranda's grandfather's body lay in the grass, body twisted, eyes open and vacant. He heard someone run up to him. "Grandfather?" Long Feather called out, stopping when he recognized Harry.

"I'm so sorry, Long Feather," Harry murmured, looking at the other man in sadness. "He saved Miranda's life, but lost his in the process."

Long Feather fell to his knees beside the body. "And Miranda?"

"She'll survive, but she's going to have to stay here from now on. Do you need help with the body?" Harry asked, not knowing what else to say.

"I'd like to take him home now. It's what he'd have wanted," Long Feather said, head bowed. "Can you help me?"

"Of course," Harry murmured and levitated the body in the air. He figured it wouldn't hurt the body, since he was already dead. "Where do you want to open the portal?"

"Here's good enough," the other man murmured as he rose to his feet. Harry took out the ring Miranda had given back to him a few days earlier and handed it to Long Feather. "I'll give it back to Miranda once she wakes up. You guys can still keep in contact."

Activating the ring, Long Feather put it on the ground and looked over at the body hovering in the air. "Send him through, please."

Harry nodded and gently set the body down on the other side of the portal. "Thanks for coming."

Long Feather looked at Harry before nodding. "Take care of her."

"I will. She's family, after all, and I take care of my family."

They shook hands and Long Feather walked through to the other side. The portal closed and shrunk back down into the ring. Harry bent down and picked it up, sighing sadly. _One more dead because of Voldemort,_ he thought as he shook his head.

Draco came up behind him. "Who was it?"

"Grandfather. I guess he knew Miranda was going to need him more than we thought. How's Miranda?" he asked as he rose to his feet, putting the ring in his pants pocket.

"Snape took her up to her room. Shall we go in? You still have to contact the Aurors about Hermione."

Harry nodded and looked up at the stars. "I thought we were all done with Voldemort, but I guess I was wrong."

"This isn't your fault, Harry," Draco murmured as he pulled Harry back against him.

Sighing, Harry allowed himself to relax against Draco's firm body for a few seconds. "I'd better contact the Aurors," he murmured with a sigh and started walking towards the manor.

Inside, Draco followed Harry into the Floo room where he bent down beside the fireplace. Taking a deep breath, he stuck his head in the green flames. When he was done, he pulled back. Two Aurors stepped through the fireplace soon after. "I'll get her," Draco murmured before he Apparated away.

He was back in seconds, Hermione in hand, who was still in a daze.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy, Harry. We can count on you if we need your testimony?"

Both men nodded, too tired to speak. Harry was glad when they were gone. He needed sleep. Then he'd take care of the Weasleys. It was almost over.

Draco helped him to his feet and followed him up the stairs. "Want some company tonight?" he asked, hoping they could take their relationship up a notch. He so wanted to kiss Harry again, but he wasn't sure the other was up to it tonight.

"Not tonight. I just want a shower and sleep. Tomorrow?" he asked, looking at Draco with a hopeful look to show the blond that he wanted his company very much.

Draco smile lopsidedly at him. "Alright. I'll see you in the morning." He leaned over and kissed Harry before he could escape into his room, thrilled when Harry kissed him back.

"Night," Harry murmured huskily when they finally pulled apart. He walked into his room and closed the door.

He sighed as he dragged himself into the bathroom where he planned on letting the hot water work its magic on his tired muscles, letting his thoughts drift, hand resting on the wall in front of him while the water cascaded over him.

All the excitement was going to kill him, he knew it, what with all the adrenaline highs and lows. It was hell on the system!

…At least Miranda was healed now.

Harry frowned as he thought about how the ritual had gone. Looking down, he saw again the tattoo beneath the ribbon-like bands on his wrist. They looked loose as they wound around each other, which made Harry frown even more.

What did they represent?

He knew the wolf represented Miranda's love of nature, just like the snake represented Harry's ability to talk to them. But what about the bands? Why silver and green?

He knew Draco had the same colors he had. Was it because it represented him being Harry's witness to the blood-bond?

Looking closer, he noticed that at his ring finger was a small silver dragon with its wings open, almost like it was flying, its head resting just beneath his first knuckle.

Curious.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back, letting the water hit his face.

Shaking his head, he picked up the soap, wanting to go to bed and collapse, and forget about everything… at least for tonight.

He smiled as he remembered the look of disappointment on Draco's face. He was going to have to make it up to the poor man somehow.

When he got out of the shower, wrapping the towel around his hips, he stopped at the door leading into the bedroom in surprise. Sitting on the end of the bed was Draco.

"Draco?" he murmured, frowning in confusion.

Draco calmly looked back at him. "Harry," he murmured, looking like he belonged where he was sitting.

Harry's frown deepened. "I thought you went to bed?" _What the hell is going on?_

Draco thought about that for a minute. "Yes, I did, but then I couldn't sleep."

Harry's eyebrows rose at that. _Okay_ he drawled to himself, a little confused. _This is weird._ "And you figured… what? That we needed to talk?"

"No," Draco said with an amused smile. He rose to his feet and walked over to Harry, forcing the dark-haired man to back up against the bathroom door. "I figured I'd do something about it." Bending forward, Draco caught Harry's mouth with his before the other could protest, pressing up their bodies together.

Harry was surprised at first, but then moaned in pleasure, feeling Draco's body pressed so intimately against his, pressing his groin against Harry's, making him hard…

Harry's eyes snapped open… and cursed as water stung his eyes.

_What the hell? _

Blinking rapidly, he looked around and realized it had all been in his head. He was still standing in the shower! By himself!

Taking a shaky breath, he looked down at himself and cursed again when he saw his arousal. "Fuck," he muttered as he began stroking himself, picturing Draco's smirking face and teasing looks. It didn't take him long to take care of his… problem.

Grabbing his towel, he decided he didn't need the shower after all. He needed sleep!

_He could feel hands roaming all over his body, arousing him…_

_Soon a mouth followed the path the hands had just traveled, making him moan at the pleasure it gave him, his skin tingling._

_He tilted his head back as the mouth reached his neck, allowing better access to the sensitive skin there._

_Yesss, he moaned, at least he thought he said it…_

_The hands caressed his hips, making all thought scatter with the feeling filling him. He just wanted more…_

Harry woke up panting and hard. What the fuck was that? What the hell woke him up?

A hand suddenly wrapped around his length, making Harry gasp in surprise and pleasure, making him aware of the warm body pressed against his back. "Harry," a voice breathed into his ear, before biting it lightly, shooting pleasure through Harry.

"Draco?" he gasped, unable to make sense of what was happening. He arched against Draco's hand, not wanting him to stop. He could feel Draco's own length pressed against his backside and felt a need to feel it inside him. He couldn't explain it, but he wanted it like he'd never wanted anything in his life.

Harry's voice seemed to bring Draco out of whatever daze he was in. He blinked in confusion. "What the fuck?" he asked as he realized where he was.

Harry groaned when Draco stopped. "Don't stop," he murmured as he moved his ass against Draco, making sure he had his attention.

Draco gasped in surprise and pleasure, his eyes darkening as he realized what was going on. He was happy, but concerned. How had he gone from his room to Harry's? When Harry brushed against his length again, all thought flew out of his head as pleasure made him groan.

Reaching over, he took hold of Harry's erection once more. His other arm snaked around Harry, cradling him to his body.

Harry reached back and ran his fingers in Draco's smooth hair, unable to think. Turning his head, he pulled Draco closer for a kiss.

Pulling back, Draco gasped as he looked Harry's face, loving the look of pleasure he was seeing on the other man's face and knowing he was the reason for it. "I want to fuck you," he murmured in Harry's ear before he nibbled at it, feeling a thrill when Harry moaned in response, his head moving to the side, allowing him more room to play. "Would you like that?" He pushed his erection against Harry, moaning as it pushed between the cheeks, mindful of the fact that he knew Harry had never tried this with anyone else.

"Fuck," Harry moaned, pushing back against Draco. "Do it," he gasped in pleasure.

Draco smiled and let go of Harry's length and wandlessly called for some lube. Slicking his fingers, he gently pushed one into Harry, watching his reaction.

Harry gasped, eyes opening slightly in surprise. When he pushed back, Draco breathed a small sigh of relief as he began moving it in and out, intent on making sure Harry's first time with him was special. Pushing a second finger in, Harry groaned in pleasure, clutching at the sheets in front of him, even as he moved against Draco's fingers, which were stretching him in the most delicious way.

When a third finger joined the first two, Harry didn't think he'd be able to take anymore. And then he felt Draco angle his fingers a little and pleasure made his cock twitch in response, making Harry cry out and his hips rock in response.

Draco chuckled at the look of utter pleasure on Harry's face and pulled his hand away, making Harry whimper at the loss. "Shh," he whispered in Harry's ear as he lined himself up and pushed into Harry's prepared hole.

Both men gasped at the tightness. "Push back against me," Draco murmured into Harry's ear, holding him close. Harry did as Draco said and moaned in pleasure as he felt Draco's length slide in, stretching him some more, but not in a painful way, like Harry had thought it would.

"Fuck," he gasped as he felt Draco's balls resting against his own. He moved his hips a little and groaned at the pleasure the small movement caused.

"Ready?" Draco asked, panting with the effort to take it easy. Harry nodded, panting in pleasure, and cried when Draco moved, making lights dance behind his eyelids. He'd never imagined it could be like this, never with Ginny had he felt such pleasure.

It took Draco a couple of tries, but he managed to find the bundle of nerves inside Harry and pushed against it, enjoying the noises coming from his lover and was glad he was the first man to ever make Harry react like this. All the waiting had been worth it in the end, just to see Harry's reactions. Reaching forwards, he took hold of Harry's cock once more and moved his hand in time to his own movements inside Harry.

"Want to touch you," Harry gasped as he arched against Draco.

Panting in pleasure, Draco pulled out of Harry, ignoring the whimper at the loss, and rolled Harry onto his back before entering him hard. Harry moaned at the force. "More," he groaned as he reached out and tangled his hands in Draco's hair, pulling him down for a heated kiss.

Draco was more than willing to oblige as he increased the pace, pulling back and slamming hard into Harry. Both men moaned, their cries muffled by their kiss as Draco did it again.

"Fuck, yes," Harry cried as he released Draco's mouth, arching up to meet Draco's next thrust. He could feel pleasure gathering inside of him and knew he wasn't going to last much longer. Reaching between them, he stroked himself.

A few seconds later, he tensed and cried out as his release splashed between them, clenching around Draco inside him, making the other shove deep inside him as he reached his own climax, filling Harry up. Draco collapsed onto Harry, both panting hard, eyes closed as they enjoyed the bliss.

They fell asleep that way, Harry's arms around Draco, who was still buried inside him, neither man noticing how their wrists had been glowing.

**Chapter 24 - We're... What?**

Snape sat with Miranda as she slept, rereading the ritual. Why would he and Draco have to cut their thumbs if all they were supposed to be were witnesses? He frowned as he mentally translated the lines he was reading from Latin to English.

His eyes widened as he realized the error he'd made in the translation. He looked at his hand and wrist and saw the faint outline of a wolf, stretched out like it was taking a running leap, around his ring finger. "Well, great," he growled softly as he scowled at it. "I'm now married."

He rose to his feet and walked over to Miranda, taking her left hand in his, examining the shape there. He frowned as he saw hers was different from his. Hers looked like a black owl with its wings spread wide, like it was flying.

Bringing the book back up, he read again, his frown deepening as he translated the words. His eyes widened in surprise. _So these are the representation of our inner selves?_

Interesting.

He sat down, still reading and wondered what Harry and Draco's would look like.

Suddenly his wrist began to glow and he gasped in surprise and dropped the book, clutching at the arms of the chair as pleasure swept through him. _What the fuck?_

In his mind he could see himself in bed with Miranda, but fought the urge to get up and do what he was seeing. Looking over at Miranda, he noticed her wrist was glowing as well, but she was so exhausted she didn't even stir. Snape closed his eyes and forced his body to obey him. Years of practice with Voldemort allowed him to gain the upper hand… barely.

His wrist pulsed lightly then subsided, leaving him panting and hard.

If this was how his night was going, he was going to have to invest in cold showers, he thought ruefully as he marked his place in the book and rose to his feet. Since he needed to keep an eye on Miranda, he decided to use her bathroom to take care of his… problem.

In the shower, he began to wonder if Harry and Draco were going to have the same dilemma and laughed softly. Draco was going to get what he wanted after all… just not in the way he thought. He laughed harder when the implications of this ritual dawned on him.

So much for the Weasley problem!

Harry became aware of something warm lying against him and frowned in confusion. Opening his eyes a little he saw blond hair. His eyes opened wider in wonder as the events of last night came back to him. _Wow!_ he thought to himself as he looked Draco over.

Sometime during the night, Draco must've shifted his weight off Harry, though they were still wrapped in each other's arms. Even their legs were twined together, almost like their bodies hadn't wanted to part, even in sleep.

He looked at Draco's sleeping face with a soft smile of wonder. Last night had been wonderful…

Harry frowned in thought. How had that happened? He knew he had bid Draco goodnight and that he'd left for his own room, but then there was that… dream in the shower, which had felt _very_ real.

"Don't frown," Draco mumbled sleepily before he yawned. "You'll get wrinkles." He smiled at the line his mother had been fond of saying.

"Morning," Harry murmured, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't think you'd be awake yet."

Draco shrugged and snuggled closer to Harry, making him chuckle.

"We have to get up, though." Harry sighed sadly. Draco looked up at him questioningly. "We have to go check on Miranda and get ready for court.

Draco groaned in protest, but rolled onto his back. "Time for a shower, I guess," he grumbled.

Harry laughed and threw the blankets back, wincing a little at the unexpected soreness, but he ignored it, knowing it would go away. Draco noticed the wince but left it, knowing if Harry wanted to talk about it, he would.

They took a shower together… which dissolved into another lovemaking session, to Draco's delight.

It was when they were both getting dressed that Draco noticed Harry had stopped pulling clothes on and was frowning. "What's wrong?"

Harry looked up at Draco. "How did you get into my room?" he asked curiously. "I mean, I know you went to your own room and you weren't here when I came out of the bathroom. So how did you get here?"

Draco frowned as he thought about it. "I'm not quite sure. I remember going to bed… and then I was here with you." He pulled his shirt on and stopped, looking at his hand.

"What's wrong?"

He walked over to Harry and showed him his hand. "It's more pronounced than it was last night." Harry frowned as he saw that the serpent around Draco's finger was indeed dark.

Looking down at his own hand, Harry noticed that his dragon was also darker. "That's weird. We're going to have to ask Snape about this, maybe he'll know what all this is about."

Draco agreed and they finished getting dressed.

Downstairs, they were surprised to see Miranda sitting there talking to the kids. Snape sat watching them, a frown on his face.

"Morning, everyone," Draco murmured as they sat down.

Snape nodded to them, while the kids greeted their parents in their happy and loud way. Miranda smiled at them. "What's on the agenda for today?" she asked them.

Harry noticed that her appetite wasn't quite back yet, though it looked like she'd eaten more this morning than she had last night. "Unfortunately, court."

Miranda's eyebrows rose at that.

"All four of us are going to have to go to the Ministry," he said as he cast a quick look at the boys who were too busy talking about what they wanted to do first. Understanding lit up Miranda's eyes and she nodded.

"Afterwards, can we stop somewhere to buy music and a player?" she asked hopefully.

Snape's and Draco's eyebrows rose at that.

"Sure, but I don't know if it'll work here. They don't have electricity and electronics tend to short out. I can't see why we can't try though," Harry told her before taking a bite of his toast. He'd forgotten how she liked to dance when she wanted to exercise or just to let off some steam.

Miranda frowned but nodded.

Harry frowned as a thought occurred to him. "That reminds me, we're going to need someone to watch the kids while we're gone. I think it's important that all four of us go today."

"Why can't we take them with us?" Miranda asked and was surprised when two of the three men looked at her like she'd lost her mind. "What? We could make it a day."

"Apparently custody battles aren't the same in your world as they are here," Snape drawled, and watched as a fire lit up behind Miranda's eyes as she became angry. "They can be quite traumatic here. I don't think we want them hearing what could be inappropriate."

"So then what do you suggest?" she asked angrily, an eyebrow going up in challenge. "That we leave them here for them to fend for themselves with only the house-elves to watch them?" Snape stiffened slightly at her quick temper.

"Perhaps we could send all four of them to Long Feather for a few hours?" Draco suggested, looking from Snape to Miranda, wondering just what was up with the two of them. He knew Snape could be hard on someone's nerves, but he thought they were getting along. Where was this coming from?

Miranda sighed and threw her napkin on the table. "Come on, kids, let's go outside," she said before she left the room followed by bewildered children, carrying Lily who'd been sitting in a high chair at the table.

Draco sat back in his chair and looked at Snape in surprise. "What was that all about?"

Snape's lips tightened in frustration. "I reread the ritual last night and found out something," he said instead.

"And?" Harry asked, wanting to ask some questions, but not knowing how they would be received.

"It appears that both of you were married last night."

Both men looked at him like he'd lost his mind. "Sorry, I think I mis-heard you," Draco murmured after a couple minutes of silence. "It sounded like you said we were married."

"You heard correctly," Snape said, refusing to look at either of them.

Harry frowned in confusion. "I thought we did a blood-bond last night. When exactly did the marriage part come in?"

Draco sat up straight in his chair. "The cut on the thumb?" he asked the old Potions master.

Snape nodded and cleared his throat. "Did anything strange happen after the ritual?" Now he looked at each of them, studying them closely. He noticed colour rise in Harry's cheeks as the men looked at each other.

Harry cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Yeah, we were kind of wondering about that."

"That was the marriage part." The men were surprised to see Snape shift uncomfortably in his chair. "I haven't told Miranda about it yet."

"So she has no idea?" Draco asked in surprise before he frowned as a thought occurred to him. "Wait, how did you resist the pull?"

Snape cleared his throat. "Miranda was dead to the world when the… spell… activated. It took all my control not to take advantage of that fact. We haven't… finished."

Harry and Draco were amused and shocked at the slight colouring in Snape's face as he stammered slightly in his explanation.

"Um… when do you plan on telling her?" Harry asked, biting his lip to keep the smile off his face.

Snape glared at him. "Not at this moment, _Mr._ Potter," he growled in annoyance. "Which brings us to the question of surnames." It was Snape's turn to smirk in amusement at the blank look on their faces.

"Surnames?" Harry asked, feeling like a parrot. Then he realized what Snape meant. "Can't we just keep our own?"

Draco shrugged in indifference. "It's not like it matters."

"Actually, Draco, it does. Seeing as Rebecca will take on her husband's surname when she marries, you have no one to carry on the Malfoy name. Unless one of Potter's kids changes their surname to Malfoy," Snape drawled, watching them puzzle this out with glee. "Or unless you have another male child that would carry the Malfoy name."

The look on Harry's face was precious. His jaw had dropped in surprise. "Another child? How the hell are we supposed to pull that one off?"

_Oh this is too easy,_ Snape thought as a slow smile spread on his face. "How else would you create a child, Potter?"

Harry turned pale then red as his face flamed up in embarrassment. "Get a surrogate to bear the child?"

Draco laughed, he couldn't help it. "We can talk about that another time," he told them as he dug into his breakfast.

"Talk about what?" Miranda asked as she walked into the room. "The kids are with Long Feather," she told them as she sat down, but didn't take her napkin.

"Babies," Draco told her with an amused look.

Miranda's eyebrows rose and looked from him to Harry. "Do I even want to know?"

"No," Harry said before Draco could answer, earning him a smile from him. "Didn't you need the ring to contact Long Feather?" Harry asked when he remembered he still had the ring.

"No, that was just for you to use," she told him with a shrug. "It appears I can still do my type of magic, despite the changes.

"Changes?" Draco asked in surprise. He hadn't noticed any changes in Miranda, other than her temper.

"It seems that my eyes have acquired a little bit of green and my hair has black streaks in it," she said as she pulled some of her hair over her shoulder so they could see the black in her otherwise dirty blond hair. It made her look a little different, once you noticed the changes. "When do we leave?"

"We should go now, actually," Snape told them as he did a quick Tempus to check the time.

**Chapter 25 - Family Court**

At the Ministry of Magic, Harry could tell that Miranda was overwhelmed by everything going on around her.

Before leaving, he'd overheard the fight between Miranda and Snape about the clothes she'd chosen to wear. He'd wanted her to wear the dress Draco had bought her and she'd flat out refused. They'd compromised. She wore one of Draco's shirts with her pants and robes over that. Snape still wasn't happy.

Taking her hand, Harry squeezed it reassuringly. She smiled at him and moved closer to him. "I didn't believe you when you described this place." Harry looked at the people crowding around the Atrium and laughed and led the group to the nearest elevator. "Come on. This shouldn't take too long."

In the elevator, he felt sorry for her as it jerked into motion. She just hung on to him, her face a little pale. "You actually did this every day?" she asked in surprise.

"You get used to it after a while." The look he saw her give him told him she didn't believe him. Snape stood close by, glaring at anyone who dared to try to look at her, probably wondering who the woman hanging on to Harry was. Harry just ignored them.

When they reached their floor, they gratefully left the elevator. "We have to go through that ordeal again when we leave, don't we?" she asked, and Harry felt for her. He didn't like the elevator either. None of them noticed the group watching them at the end of the corridor.

"Unfortunately, we do," Snape murmured as he removed her hand from Harry's, giving her his own instead. Harry blinked at him questioningly. "The Weasley family is watching. They already think you've taken their daughter's place in Harry's bed. Let's not give them any more ammunition to use today," he said as he led her away from Harry and down the corridor. Harry frowned at the implication and followed behind, walking next to Draco.

"I suppose I shouldn't have take Harry's hand when we got here, huh?" he heard her ask Snape and began to wonder what people were thinking when they'd seen him take her hand. Probably not the best move on his part.

"It doesn't matter. It was more like a brother comforting his sister. Don't care about what people think," he murmured dismissively as they neared the group.

"So this is the… woman you're parading in front of Ginny's kids," Molly sneered, looking Miranda over like she was a piece of gum under her shoe.

Harry watched as Miranda stiffened in anger. "And this is the… woman whose putting those same kids through hell," she shot back with an eyebrow raised aristocratically. Draco was impressed. Not many people could pull off that look unless they had been practicing it… a lot.

Arthur grabbed hold of Molly's arm before she could attack. "Not here, Molly," he told her warningly, frowning at the hatred in his wife's eyes and wondering if they were really doing the right thing.

"Molly, Arthur, I'd like to present you to my sister, Miranda," Harry said and watched as a look of confusion came over the family's faces. He could see the doubt in his brother-in-laws' faces.

"We all know you're an only child, Harry. What are you playing at?" Charlie demanded, frowning.

"Miranda is Harry's blood-sister as of last night," Draco told them, face impassive. "It's how he saved her life."

"What?" Arthur asked hesitantly, looking from Miranda to Harry, taking in the changes the ritual had wrought in Miranda. "Saved her from what?"

"From death, of course," Snape drawled and gestured for them to enter the court room. "Shall we continue with this farce? I'm sure the judge would be interested in how you've been slandering Harry's relations with his new sister."

The Weasley family, baring Molly, hesitated in surprise before they entered the room.

"I think they're realizing they acted before getting all the facts," Draco murmured as he led the way into the room where the lawyers were already waiting. "Ah, Arnold, you made it," Draco said by way of greeting as he walked over to their table.

"Draco, thanks for the note. Is everything in order?" the man asked as he shook hands with first Draco then Harry. "This, then, is Miranda?" he asked with a pleasant smile as he reached out to shake her hand, smiling at the look of surprise on her face.

"Here's all the papers you wanted," Snape murmured as he produced a contract of the blood ritual they had done along with extra papers. Arnold's eyebrows rose at the extra papers which rose still further as he read them. "Are these accurate?" he asked in surprise.

"I need to speak with Miranda before all this begins," Snape murmured as he led her out of the room.

The hearing was going alright so far, but when Harry looked over at Molly and Arthur, he could see the hatred in Molly's eyes, although Arthur seemed to be looking at his wife with a slight frown. Was he finally seeing what she was turning into?

"And what of this proof you say you have?" the judge asked, looking over at the Weasleys' table.

"Our son, Ronald, was at the house when Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter and the woman in question were gathered in the back yard," Arthur said, though he didn't seem so sure he wanted this anymore.

"And is your son here today to testify as to what he saw?" the judge asked, frowning at him.

"No, he refused to testify against his life-long friend," Arthur murmured, looking apologetic.

The judge's eyebrow rose at that. "I was under the impression you had physical proof, like photos or something."

"Your Honour," Arnold said, rising to his feet. "Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter handed these to me today." He held out the papers in question and the judge levitated them over to his bench.

"What is that?" Molly demanded, jumping to her feet. "Some trick or something?"

"Mrs. Weasley," the judge said in exasperation. "Sit down until I've had a chance to examine these."

With a huff, Molly sat down, glaring over at Harry's side of the room.

They watched as the judge's eyebrows rose at what he was reading. "This says Mr. Potter and Ms. Monroe are blood-siblings?" he questioned, looking up at Harry then over at Miranda.

"Yes, your Honour," Harry said.

"Lies!" Molly screamed, jumping to her feet again.

Harry looked back when he heard Miranda sigh in exasperation, and watched as she rose to her feet and pulled the robes off. She threw it on the chair and unbuttoned her shirt.

"I hope there's a point to you disrobing in this court room, Ms. Monroe," the judge murmured, a little alarmed.

"Yes, sir, there is. Please be patient." They watched as Miranda walked to the center of the room. As she pulled the shirt off her arms, they could see the tattoo on her arm. Just to make sure they could all see it, she held out her arm for them to see clearly. She turned to glare at Molly. "Satisfied?" she drawled, waiting a minute before she pulled the shirt back on and walked calmly back to her chair, not bothering with buttoning up the shirt, pulling the robes over her lap.

Harry and Draco looked at each other and hid their smirks, not wanting the judge to think they were laughing at him. Miranda had just proved that the claims were unfounded and all without saying a word.

"This also says that Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter are married, through the same ritual? The same with Headmaster Snape and Ms. Monroe?" the judge said after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes, your Honour," Draco said, showing his hand where the tattoo could easily be seen.

"This is all a ploy! Those kids are mine!" Molly screeched out.

"Molly, sit down," Arthur said, trying to physically pull her down.

"No," she yelled angrily. "I want my children. Give them to me!"

"Mrs. Weasley, I will not tell you again. Sit down and be quiet or I'll have this case dismissed," the judge warned in exasperation.

"I don't care what they say! They have to give me those kids!" Molly yelled, arms waving angrily.

"That's it. Since there's no basis for a charge of child abuse in the Potter and Malfoy residence, your claim is dismissed and I am lodging a formal complaint against your family. No one will ever take your claims of child abuse seriously again." The judge banged the gavel down and left the room.

Molly screamed, trying to get around Arthur to get to Harry.

"Draco," Arnold murmured as they shook hands. "I'll come by later this week to talk about that investment you wished to make."

"Of course," Draco murmured as they turned to leave the room. "Where's Miranda?" he asked when he didn't see her.

"She's waiting by the elevator. Molly's screaming was grating on her nerves. We'd better go before she decides to leave us behind," Snape drawled as they left the room and saw her leaning, with a foot propped against the wall, hands behind her, head back with her eyes closed.

Harry noticed Snape frowned in disapproval and hoped he wouldn't say anything.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked when they got closer to her.

"Yeah, I was just starting with a headache with all her screaming echoing around the room," she told them as she looked at them and noticed someone coming up behind them. "Heads up."

They turned to see what she was talking about and saw Arthur Weasley coming over. "Harry," he murmured, clearly uncomfortable.

"Arthur, what can I help you with?" Harry asked warily. _Now what?_

"I wanted to apologize for our recent behavior and for Molly's actions today. I've never seen her act like this before. I think finding out about Ginny going to Azkaban might have driven her a little mad. We're going to take her to St Mungo's to make sure." Harry was surprised to see him hesitate. "I was wondering, once everything's calmed down, if we could come visit with the children? That's if Molly's feeling better, of course."

_Well at least they don't expect me to allow them to go there just yet_, Harry thought as looked at the one man he'd always considered his father. "I'd like that, but first Draco and I have to talk to the kids and see what they want." Harry reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Give them a bit of time and they'll forgive what happened," he told him, with a gentle smile.

Arthur looked at him with hope in his eyes. "Let me know when they want the visit, then," he said with quick nod and turned to go back to his family waiting by the court room, a subdued Molly glaring back at them.

"You forgive too quickly, Harry," Miranda murmured as she frowned back at the Weasleys, but then shrugged. "But then I can understand why you did."

"That's why we get along so well," he said with a small smile as he opened the door to the elevator, gesturing for them to go ahead.

"Yeah, well, if I'm going to stay in this world of yours, I need more clothes. And no, I'm not talking about your kind of clothes either. If I wanted to die of heat stroke, then I'd agree," she told them as Draco's eyes lit up at the mention of shopping. "I agree that I'm going to need clothes to interact with these people, but I'll do it on my terms."

Snape's frowned deepened. "You'll still need our clothes as well."

"As long as not all of them are dresses," she said, noticing his frown, and Harry could tell this was going to be a fight between these two. "Give me a break. You have to remember I wasn't raised here. I don't _like_ wearing dresses all that much."

"Maybe you can start a new trend," Draco murmured, trying to play the peacemaker.

Miranda looked him up and down. "Maybe I can buy you a new outfit. One you can wear at the house for Harry," she said with a mischievous look. Draco's eyes narrowed when he saw the look, unsure what she was up to.

This should be interesting.

When they reached the Atrium, there was the flash of a camera, capturing the four of them as they exited the elevator. "Mr. Potter! Who's the new woman in your life?" one reporter asked.

"How long have you been seeing each other?" another asked and took another picture of them, seeming to center on Harry and Miranda, who stood behind him.

"Excuse me, but we're not seeing each other. She's my sister," Harry stammered in surprise. How could things get so out of hand?

The reporters gave them knowing smirks. "Of course," was all one of the reporters said.

"Ms. Monroe was recently adopted into the Potter family and is now an aunt to Mr. Potter's children," Draco said coldly, pinning the reporter on the spot with his eyes. "And if we read otherwise, I'll make sure you have no job by close of business tomorrow."

With that, he ushered the group towards the Floo Network. They Flooed to the Leaky Cauldron, figuring it could be their central point. This way they could go to Muggle London and Diagon Alley easily.

"_That_'s what you went through every day since you entered the Wizarding world?" Miranda asked, face pale. "No wonder you hate the press."

Harry sighed and nodded. "Now you know why I kept you a secret. I didn't want you to have to face stuff like that. Now," he said with a shrug, "there's nothing to do but wait and see if they have it right."

"Would you really have that reporter lose his job?" she asked Draco with a frown.

Draco shrugged and smirked at her. "My father bought shares in the _Daily Prophet_ years back and it seems I now own over half the voting shares. If I wanted, I could fire all of them and no one would be able to stop me."

"Wow."

"Let's go shopping," Draco murmured with a gleam in his eyes.


	9. Chapters 26 to 28

Beta'd by Bubba and Lady Katye

**Chapter 26 – Babies?**

Draco and Harry sat having tea as they watched as their kids played once more in the back garden. Draco looked over at Harry when he sighed contentedly as he smiled at the kids' antics. "When do you want to tell them that we're living here permanently?" he asked before taking a sip of his tea, watching Harry closely.

Harry shrugged and frowned in thought. "You know, maybe we should have a small gathering, just so people or the kids don't get confused about our binding."

"It might just be what some of our friends need to get over the shock this is going to cause," Draco suggested, thinking of the problems this might create. And here he'd thought this could simplify his life. "We can wait a few days to figure out what we want to do. Have you given any thoughts to what Severus said this morning?" he asked, watching Harry's reaction carefully and tried not to laugh when he saw his husband go absolutely still before throwing him an almost panicked look.

"Which part?"

"Babies," he murmured as he took a drink of his tea to hide the smile.

"Um," Harry stammered, eyebrows disappearing under the fringe of his bangs and it took all Draco had in him not to laugh at the look of panic in his eyes. You'd think he'd asked him to bear the child or something.

Finally, he took pity on his partner. "Don't worry, Harry. It's not like men can get pregnant without help." This time he _did_ laugh at the horrified look on Harry's face. "How else do you think two men can have a legitimate heir?" he asked, an eyebrow raised in question.

"I assumed they adopted," Harry said, with a shrug, gesturing wildly, nearly knocking over his own cup.

"No, Harry. Wizards and witches who are adopted, especially in pure-blood families, cannot become heirs. When the adoptive parents pass, they can give something to the adopted child, but it can't be a title or family Manor unless it's a blood-bond like you and Miranda. That's why pure-blood families are careful about what they do.

"The difference about last night and other people is life and death. For Miranda, it was to save her life, with adoption, you don't need it to be blood-related. Severus was right about Rebecca taking her spouse's surname, and even if she doesn't take his surname, any child she has will be labeled with his surname, not hers."

Harry frowned as he absorbed what Draco was saying. He hadn't realized how complicated family structure could be in the Wizarding world. "What does it mean in a situation like ours? Where we have kids already?"

Draco shrugged indifferently. "Because they were born before the binding, they keep their surname, unless we, as parents, want to change that."

"So then what would it take to get a Malfoy male heir?" Harry asked, the look on his face telling Draco he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer to that.

"Easy. Severus will make me a few potions taken in a specific order and time which will allow me to get pregnant." He laughed at the look of relief Harry gave him when he found out he didn't have to bare the child, then Harry frowned.

"If you get pregnant, how do you deliver? It's not like you have a hole down there for the child to come out of," he said, then blushed furiously as he realized what he'd just said.

_Oh this is sooo precious_, Draco thought as he tried to breath, he was laughing so hard. It didn't help when Harry grumbled, "Oh, ha ha," or the disgruntled look on his face as Draco continued to laugh.

He managed to get control of himself… until he looked at Harry. He had to look away and not look at his husband in order to answer him. "That's where the mediwitch or wizard comes in," he said, wiping his eyes. "Though that doesn't mean I'm going to be easy to live with until then. I'm still going to go through the mood swings, just like women do when they're pregnant. Do you think you can handle that?" he asked, chancing a look at Harry.

Harry was thinking about what Draco had just told him, and Draco was surprised to see he was actually considering it. Draco knew he wouldn't mind giving Rebecca a blood-sibling. He knew she was tired of being an only child, but he'd never been really interested in getting remarried just to have more kids… until now. "I think I can handle that. I know the kids would be thrilled to have more siblings to play with."

He sighed and looked back at the house and Draco knew he was thinking of Miranda. "Don't worry about her. Severus knows there's something not right. He's just waiting for her to open up to him," he murmured as he sat back in his chair. "Besides, this might be good for him too. It gives him something to focus on besides meddling. I can't wait to see how long it takes for them to butt heads together. Their first row should be entertaining."

Harry smiled knowingly. "Especially since her temper matches his."

Draco toasted him with his cup with a smile of his own. "Exactly."

When Miranda and Snape finally made an appearance later that afternoon, they were surprised to see her in white slacks and light blue shirt that had another shear blouse in a darker blue colour over it, sides hanging loosely around her hips. Harry would've thought Snape would've had a meltdown at the sight of the pants, but he seemed fine with it. She looked absolutely gorgeous… until he saw the bandage.

"What happened to your hand?" he asked, frowning.

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Severus already looked at it. It's just a sprain." His look told her he didn't believe her explanation. "Just leave it, please?"

Harry's lips tightened but he didn't say anything more.

"Besides, Potter, it's for me to worry about now, not you." Harry's and Draco's eyebrows rose at the significance of the statement and they looked from one to the other's hand. Sure enough, the tattoos were more pronounced.

"Congratulations," Draco murmured, nodding at them. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, please," Miranda murmured with a small smile as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She'd pulled it all back into a braid behind her back. "And thank you."

"Have you two made a decision about our discussion this morning?" Snape asked before taking a sip of his tea, seeing Miranda turn to look at him in confusion.

"Yes, actually we have. We're going to need the potions, but we can wait a few days before we ask for it."

"What potions?" Miranda asked, taking a biscuit from the tray on the table.

"And who is going to be the one to take it?" Snape asked, ignoring her question for now, though he could tell by the way she stiffened that it wasn't going to take long before she demanded an answer.

"I will," Draco said calmly as he leaned back in his chair. "And we're talking about babies," he told Miranda, giving Snape a reproachful look. He knew what the old Headmaster was doing and it did no good to aggravate her so soon after their joining.

She gave them a look that was confused. "Babies?"

"Yes. In the Wizarding world, men can get pregnant with the help of certain potions. As I was explaining to Harry earlier, we have a mediwitch or wizard keep track of the gestation regularly, just like women do when they're pregnant. It's really quite simple."

The look she gave him told him she thought he was insane, but she didn't question it. She'd see soon enough.

"Hey, guys!"

They looked over to see Ron walking towards then, a book in his hand. Harry waved back at him and waited until the red-head was closer before talking to him. "Join us for tea?" he asked, gesturing towards the remaining seat.

Ron shrugged and sat down. "Sure," he said as he nodded to the others. "Miranda, you're looking better today. What was wrong with you yesterday?"

"I'm feeling better," she murmured as she took a sip of her tea. "I wasn't feeling right yesterday." Since she didn't elaborate on her condition, Ron couldn't ask without sounding rude. Draco could tell it was killing him not being able to ask, though and he hid a smile and winked at Miranda.

What a great diplomat she'd make, he thought with a twinkle in his eyes as he saw her eyebrow rise a little, letting him know she knew he'd caught on. "What're you doing here, Ronald?" he asked, turning his attention to the book in Ron's hand.

"Oh, yeah. I was supposed to bring this yesterday, but forgot it in our rush to come over for supper," Ron said as he handed the book to Draco. "It's Ginny's diary. The one I was telling you about."

Draco looked at him in surprise and took the book from him. He'd forgotten all about the thing. Even though they didn't need it anymore, he was still curious as to what the chit had written about Harry in it. "Thanks."

"Ginny's diary?" Miranda asked, frowning slightly. "She was actually stupid enough to put in writing what her plans were when she was a child?"

"Yes, well, brains don't seem to run too deeply in the Weasley family," Snape drawled sarcastically, ignoring the glare Ron threw his way as his face started with a red flush of anger.

"Severus," she murmured warningly, though her eyes gleamed with mirth. "Behave."

Snape's eyebrows rose at that. "Did I lie?"

"Anyway," Harry cut in before Ron could explode. "We're going to have a celebration in a few nights. Will you and George come over?"

"What are we celebrating?" Ron asked, frowning in confusion, making Miranda bite her lip and look over at Snape, his raised eyebrow told her everything.

"New additions to the family, being able to keep my kids… and my marriage, for starters," Harry said, holding his breath, waiting for the explosion.

Ron's eyebrows rose. "I get keeping your kids, but who's the new addition to the family?"

_So__,_ Harry thought to himself. _They didn't tell Ron about Miranda or the marriage._ "Miranda is now my sister," he murmured, waiting for the next question.

"Yeah, well I figured you took her as family by the way you guys interacted together," he said, misunderstanding what Harry was telling him. They watched as Ron frowned as something seemed to sink in. "Married? Who did you marry? I didn't even know you were looking for anyone new, what with your divorce being relatively new and all."

Harry cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to break the news to his friend in a way that wouldn't get out of hand. "Well, it wasn't really planned," he began hesitantly.

Draco rolled his eyes at all the pussyfooting. "He's married to me, Weasley."

Ron looked at Draco, expression blank. Then he turned to look at Harry, hoping his friend would tell him it was all a joke.

"It's true," Harry murmured, waiting for the explosion. It should be coming any second…

He wasn't disappointed. "You married _him_?" Ron demanded, pointing at Draco. Miranda's eyebrows rose at the tone in Ron's voice.

"What's wrong with that?" she asked, looking at Ron, clearly not understanding the problem.

"What's wrong with that? He's the bloody ferret! That's what's wrong!" he exclaimed in anger. "How could you marry _Malfoy_ of all people?"

Harry glared at Ron when he saw Draco stiffen at the old nickname and tried to defuse the situation. "Ronald Weasley!" he said angrily. "Learn to hold your tongue!"

"No," Ron yelled, face completely red as he glared at his best friend. "How could you marry _him_ after all he put us through at school? I wanted to say something when you told me you two were friends, but you left before we could talk, and now you're telling me you're married and I'm supposed to just accept it again?"

The men were surprised when something splashed in Ron's face. They all turned to look at Miranda who was glaring at Ron, surprised that she'd done it and that it had worked to stop the tirade.

"How dare you bring up the past like it was yesterday?" she growled at him. "If he's happy with Draco, then you should be happy to be included in their lives, not belittling what they feel for each other. If you can't be happy for Harry, then why are you here? I'm so goddamn tired of all the bickering over the past!" With that, she rose to her feet and stalked away.

Snape was impressed. She'd managed to stop Ron in his tracks and do it in a way that made him feel like he was three inches tall.

Ron sat back in surprise, looking like he was just realizing what he'd done. "I'm sorry for the outburst," he murmured. "I… I'm glad for you, Harry."

Harry blinked at the change in his friend. In all the years he'd known Ron, he'd never heard him apologize so quickly, but then no one had interfered like Miranda had either. "Thanks." He smiled hesitantly, unsure what to do next. "Miranda and Snape are also married," he said, hoping to change the mood now surrounding them.

Ron looked over at Snape who was watching him with a smirk. "Congratulations," he murmured, and Harry worried that he might have had too many shocks today.

"Well, things aren't going to be boring with her around," Draco murmured as he took a sip of his tea.

"I think it might be a good idea if I take Miranda to Snape Manor for a while. It'll give her a bit more time to get used to the changes if there aren't so many distractions," Snape murmured as he put his cup down.

"Take Jarett with you. He's Miranda's wedding gift from Harry and I," Draco said and shrugged when Snape gave him a questioning look. "Besides, he seems to have taken a liking to her."

Harry smiled, knowing what this meant, even if Miranda didn't yet. He knew Snape would explain it to her. "Let us know when she can visit."

"Draco, let me know when you need those potions and I'll have them ready."

The men nodded and watched as Snape went after his wife.

"I'd better be going too," Ron murmured as he rose from the table, wanting to make his escape as gracefully as possible. "Dad said he was going to send you a letter as soon as they figure what's wrong with Mum," he told Harry before he walked away.

Harry sighed and shook his head. "When do you want to do the party?"

Draco smiled, thought his thoughts were centered on Molly Weasley. It was weird how she'd gone from being a reasonable person towards Harry to downright spiteful. "We can send out invitations tomorrow and have the party a couple of days after. This'll give them time to wrap their mind around the fact that we're getting along and also give the ladies time to buy a new dress for the occasion."

"Let's take the kids over to Grimmauld Place and start packing things up after supper," Harry suggested as he frowned in thought. "I imagine they want more clothes than what they have here, even if they're keeping the house-elves busy."

"Why wait until then? We can go now and bring a few house-elves with us. We can spend the night there. Maybe a change of scenery will be good for all of us," Draco murmured as he watched Harry. This was going to be a sight he was never going to tire of, he realized with a contented sigh.

"James! Sirius! Rebecca!" Harry called, gesturing for them to come over.

They came running, laughing as they made it into a race. "What's up, Dad?" James asked as he panted.

"We're going over to Grimmauld Place to pack. Maybe camp out for the night. Would you like that?" he told them, watching them carefully.

All three looked at each other, wondering what was going on. Then James shrugged. "Sure. There are a few things I'd like to show Rebecca anyway."

**Chapter 27 - Daily Prophet**

Grimmauld was just as dark as Harry remembered. He'd grown used to how much light came into the Manor and missed it already. They arrived in the living room which was much more inviting than the kitchen, and certainly less messy.

He remembered the day Ginny had made him change the Floo connections from the kitchen to the living room and was kind of glad he had. There was more room to move here, although the furniture was still old and ratty. He'd always intended to get rid of it but was now glad he hadn't.

It looked like Kreacher was still keeping the dust away, which was surprising. The old house-elf had been lapsing in the last few years and some days you couldn't tell what he was up to. And funny enough, Ginny hadn't wanted to get rid of him, but thinking back on it, it made sense if she was working for Voldemort.

Either that or it was the small army of house-elves Draco had sent over before they left the Manor. Well, okay, so he'd exaggerated a little. He'd only sent a handful of them, but with the way they worked, they could very well be an army by themselves.

"Welcome to my home," Harry murmured, looking around at the only real home he'd known beside the Burrow.

Draco and Rebecca looked around like they weren't sure if it wasn't going to fall apart around them. Harry laughed and gestured for the kids to go ahead of them. "Start packing your things," he told the boys as he adjusted Lily on his hip. "Rebecca, if you want, you can keep them company."

Rebecca smile hesitantly. James grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the stairs. "Come on. I'll show you my room."

"And mine!" Sirius called as he ran after them.

Harry laughed at their antics. "Come on. I'll fix us some tea before I tackle the library. You might already have the books here, but I don't really want to leave them behind," he told Draco with a shrug as he led the way to the kitchen.

When they entered the room, tea was already waiting for them and a house-elf was busy with supper.

"What should I do with Kreacher?"

"Who's Kreacher?" Draco asked in confusion as he sat down at the table while Harry put Lily in the playpen that was in the kitchen. Obviously this was the room they spent most of their time in, Draco realized.

"The Black's family house-elf. He's senile, talks to himself and-"

Screaming from upstairs had them running for the stairs. Draco was the first to reach the top. They were confronted by running kids.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked as Rebecca clutched at his leg and the boys hid behind her.

"Over there," James stammered, pointing at the room at the end of the hall.

Harry managed to get by Draco, and since the kids wouldn't let him go, he walked down the hall, wand at the ready. Who could've got inside the house uninvited? After the war, he'd redone the wards so that only a few trusted people could get in.

The smell alerted him to something wrong. He wrinkled his nose but kept going. He needed to make sure they were safe before they stayed there.

Pushing the door, open, he frowned when it seemed to hit something soft. "_Lumos,_" he murmured and peered into the room to see what had scared the kids so badly. Looking around quickly, just to be sure no one was ready to attack him, he chanced a look behind the door and sighed sadly.

_I guess I don't have to find a use for him after all_, he thought as he saw the lifeless body of the cantankerous house-elf. It looked like he'd been dead for at least a couple of days, judging by the smell.

"James, take Rebecca and Sirius to your room, please. I'll come talk to you in a few minutes." When James hesitated, Harry nodded it was okay. Taking hold of the other two's hands, he dragged them down the other side of the house and closed his door.

Draco frowned and walked over to Harry. "What's wrong? What did they find?"

"Kreacher. Looks like he died a while ago or more," Harry said with a sigh. "What do we do with him?"

Draco looked closer at the poor creature on the floor. "It also looks like he was tortured," he told Harry, pointing at some odd partially healed wounds. "Probably by Ginny when he couldn't tell her where the kids were."

Harry frowned as he looked at the body on the floor. "That would mean that he's been tortured for a few months." Would Ginny really resort to that drastic a measure to get the kids? He was also surprised that Kreacher hadn't been able to find the kids when house-elves were so good at finding people when they wanted to. But even Kreacher hadn't deserved this kind of treatment. Maybe the cranky creature had become loyal to Harry over the years. "Let's bury him in the backyard. It's the least we can do for him," Harry murmured with a sigh and levitated the body in the air, and Draco conjured a blanket to wrap the body in it.

"In case the kids are looking out their window," he explained at Harry's questioning look.

Harry nodded, after all, kids were curious, and took the body downstairs.

Harry walked into James' room a half hour later. The kids were sitting on the floor with James' collection of rocks. He sighed and sat down on his bed. "Come here," he murmured and put an arm around Sirius after the boy climbed onto his lap. "I know you guys have had quite a shock, but I think it's important that you know what happened."

"It was Kreacher, wasn't it, Dad?" James asked as he leaned against the bed beside Harry.

"Yeah, it was. I'm afraid I forgot to come check up on how Kreacher was and I think he was older than even I imagined. I don't want you guys to be afraid of this," he told them as he looked carefully at all three children, figuring they didn't need to know exactly how the house-elf had died. They didn't need to have nightmares. "Everyone's time comes and Kreacher's time was now."

"Is that why you buried him in the old garden?" Sirius asked, and Harry realized that he'd never seen this child so serious or sad before.

"Yes," he said, smiling at him and kissed the top of his head. "Even he needed to be buried with decency, despite the fact that he was always grumpy."

"Was he your only house-elf?" Rebecca asked curiously as she watched them and James knew she kind of felt left out. He took her hand, pulled her close to him and draped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

Harry smiled at the show of affection from his eldest. "Yes, but that's okay. I never used to have house-elves before Kreacher so I'm used to doing everything myself."

"Yeah, Kreacher was so unreliable that Dad used to do all the cleaning, dishes and cooking. He's really good at it, too. I actually miss his cooking sometimes," James said with a mischievous smile which turned to laughter when Harry reached over and tickled him.

"Have you two started packing anything?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"Mostly. I just have my clothes left to pack. Are we moving into the Manor for good?" James asked and felt Rebecca hold her breath.

"Yes, but that's something Draco and I have to talk to you about together after supper. So I want you to finish packing what you want to bring. After supper we can play games before bedtime. Alright?"

"Alright," Sirius and James grumbled. They'd been hoping to play now, but if they hurried maybe they'd be able to talk him into playing a game outside. Sirius slid off Harry's lap and ran for his room.

"I'll call when supper's ready," Harry said as he rose to his feet and left the room. He needed to pack up his own room and the library. So much to do and so little time to do it in.

Harry walked into the library after finishing in his room – he couldn't believe how much junk he'd collected over the years – and was surprised to see bare walls and a couple of piles of books left on the floor. Draco was sitting at the desk, reading some papers.

"I figured you'd be busy with the kids and packing up your room, so I went ahead and had the house-elves move the books over to the Manor for you."

"What're you reading?" he asked as he moved closer to Draco.

Draco handed a sheet over to him to read. Harry felt his eyebrows rise into his hairline. "Are these-"

"Maps of a manor? Yeah. I was just trying to figure out which one. At first I thought it was Malfoy Manor, but the layout is different."

"Any clue as to which manor this is?" Harry asked as he looked at the map in his hands. It wasn't any he recognized.

"None," Draco said, throwing his page down on the desk with a frustrated sigh and rubbing his eyes. He looked up as a house-elf came in. "Put these on the desk in my study," he said, handing them to the creature. "We can look at it some more tomorrow when we get home."

Standing up, Draco did what he'd wanted to do all day. Leaning back against the edge of the desk, he pulled Harry closer and kissed him and, as every day since the ceremony, Harry kissed him back just as passionately.

Reluctantly pulling back, he rested his forehead against Harry's, his body ready for more. "How about a shower before supper?" he asked, the meaning clear in his eyes as was the hardness pressing against Harry's leg. Draco was glad to feel that Harry wasn't unaffected either.

Harry's eyebrow rose in amusement. "Well, now. I wouldn't want you to take advantage of me," he murmured, smiling mischievously when Draco laughed.

"I think we've passed that point already."

Harry grinned at that. "True." He pulled away from Draco and took his hand. "If we hurry, maybe the kids won't miss us."

After supper, Draco sat outside watching Harry chase after the three older kids with Lily. If one of them had the bad luck of falling, Harry would bounce Lily on them a couple of times and then take off after the others.

He couldn't tell who was having more fun.

Lily, who was screaming and laughing at the top of her lungs, hands reaching for whoever they were chasing at the time; Rebecca, James and Sirius, who were laughing so hard they kept falling down – though Draco suspected they were doing it on purpose once they figured out what the game was; or Harry, who was using Lily like a flying doll and made strange sound effects as he chased one child down after another.

He found it all amusing. He'd never seen this side of Harry before and hoped he'd see it more often.

After a while, Harry collapsed on the ground, laughing and eeking as the three oldest jumped on top of him, careful of Lily who was sitting on his stomach. It was a good thing he didn't have glasses anymore or he'd have had them knocked off his face for sure by the way the kids were trying to pin him to the ground.

He laughed as Harry sat up with a loud growl and grabbed the nearest child which was, surprisingly enough, not Lily, whom James had grabbed when Harry began to move, telling Draco Harry did this with them often. Rebecca shrieked as Harry caught her and pulled her against him, tickling her for a few seconds before letting her go.

"Alright," Harry said, panting and getting to his feet. "I'm done."

The kids protested but Harry went and sat with Draco as he tried to catch his breath.

"You looked like you were having fun," Draco murmured as he handed Harry a cup of tea.

"Thanks. You should try it," Harry told him as he dropped into an empty chair with a contented sigh.

"That's okay. It's much more entertaining watching you do it. Did you play with the boys like that a lot?"

Harry smiled at him and nodded. "Ever since Sirius was born. James loved the game, so when Lily was old enough to enjoy the game too, I did it with all of them. It gave some me time with the kids. Ginny laughed at first, but towards the end, all she would do was sniff disapprovingly and walk away," he said with a shrug. "I like playing with them. It keeps me in shape and gives them some attention without them getting into trouble."

"Makes sense," Draco said after thinking about it for a few minutes as they watched the kids start to wind down. Probably getting tired. They should sleep well tonight. Which brought to mind… "When do you want to tell them we're all a family?"

"Now, if you want," Harry said with a shrug before shooting him a sly look. "When do you want to tell them we'll be expanding our family?"

Draco nearly choked on his tea. "How about we wait until it's a sure thing?"

Harry laughed and called the kids over from where they were trying to get Lily to walk.

"What's up, Dad?" James asked as he led Lily over to them, letting her walk over to Harry, who picked her up and tossed her into the air. She shrieked in delight and laughed as he laid a few kisses on her cheek before sitting her down on his lap.

"Draco and I have something to tell you," he began and looked over to Draco, wondering how he wanted to approach this.

"It seems that we're going to be staying together permanently," Draco said as he rolled his eyes at Harry's evasiveness.

The kids looked from one parent to the other, eyes bugging out, not quite sure if this was a joke. "For real?" James asked, practically holding his breath, hoping it wasn't a joke.

"We're a family now? All of us?" Sirius asked, looking like he wanted to jump for joy but wasn't sure if it would be appropriate just yet.

"I'm not an only child anymore?" Rebecca asked hopefully.

Harry laughed. "Yes to all questions. Some way, somehow, when we saved Miranda, we were also married. Miranda is now your aunt."

They were surprised by the noise level as the kids laughed and screamed, hugging each other. "I told you," James whispered in Rebecca's ear as they hugged each other, "you wouldn't be alone."

"Alright," Harry said, getting instant silence from the kids, earning a look of respect from Draco at the ease the kids calmed down. "Time for bed. You can find a room for Rebecca to use for the night. Tomorrow we'll leave after breakfast."

The adults were surprised when the kids didn't protest but took off into the house at a run. "Well, that was the easiest time I've ever had to put those boys to bed," Harry murmured in surprise and followed them inside, followed by a chuckling Draco.

"Maybe you tired them out?"

"I doubt that very much." Walking upstairs, Harry stopped at Lily's bedroom just as she yawned hugely and laid her down in her crib without a protest. "Good night, Lily. I'll see you in the morning," he murmured softly, running his hand over her red hair before leaving the room.

"One down, three to go," he murmured as he watched Draco head down the hall towards Sirius' room.

"Better make that two down," Draco whispered back as he peeked inside the little boy's room. He could see the lump he made under the covers and the slight snore coming from that direction.

_Well that was fast_, Harry thought in surprise. "I guess I _did_ tire them out."

Draco rolled his eyes at Harry. "It's not like you haven't been at it for almost an hour and a half," he drawled sarcastically as he headed down the stairs. It was a safe bet that if two were down, the other two weren't far behind.

Harry laughed as he followed. "Let's go sit in the living room."

They were just settling down with a glass of Firewhisky when the fireplace flared and a head appeared inside the ashes. "Harry? Are you there?"

"Arthur?" Harry asked in surprise as he rose and moved closer to the fireplace. "What's wrong?"

"I-" He could see a look of discomfort on the older man. "I wanted to let you know what the healers at St. Mungo's found when they examined Molly."

"Did you want to come over?" he asked, frowning in confusion. How bad could it be?

"You don't mind?" Arthur asked in surprise, taking in the sight of Draco reclining on the couch.

"Not at all, Mr. Weasley, besides, you're still part of Harry's family and nothing will change that," Draco murmured, though he really wanted to tell the man to take a hike. He'd wanted to get Harry to relax before going to bed, but that seemed like a futile thought now.

Arthur came through the fire and stood, unsure what to do.

"Please, sit down, Arthur. Would you like to have some tea or Firewhisky?"

"Tea, please," the older man murmured with a grateful smile as he sat in the chair. "I won't stay long, but I figured, after everything we put you through, you'd like to know why Molly reacted the way she did since the supper we had."

A pot of tea appeared on the coffee table between them and Arthur paused to fix himself a cup of tea.

"So there was something wrong with Molly?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Yes. They found traces of magical tampering in Molly's mind. They're not quite sure what spells were used and without that knowledge, they can't seem to do much to help her. We had to leave her there so they can run some tests," Arthur said as he stared at his cup, fiddling with the handle.

Harry and Draco exchanged knowing looks but didn't say anything. They both knew Ginny was the reason Molly was in the shape she was in and Harry wondered if she'd ever be better. The kids needed their grandmother, especially since she was their only grandmother.

"Well," Arthur said with a heavy sigh. "I'll let you know if there's any progress. Where will you be?" he asked, smiling, though they could tell he didn't really feel like smiling.

"We'll be at Malfoy Manor. We're just here to close up the house. Especially since the kids needed their clothes and anything else they wanted from their rooms," Harry said as he rose and walked with Arthur the few feet to the fireplace.

"Thanks, Harry," Arthur murmured and held out a hand to his son-in-law.

Harry shook it and nodded. "We'll talk soon, Arthur."

Arthur clapped him on the arm and threw some Floo powder into the fire and stepped through. "The Burrow," he said clearly and was engulfed in green flames before he was gone.

"Well, that was very unsurprising. It took them taking her to St. Mungo's to realize there was something wrong with the way she was treating someone they'd practically adopted into their family," Draco drawled sarcastically, snorting before taking a drink from his Firewhisky. "What a joke."

"Be nice, Draco," Harry murmured tiredly as he sat down beside him, putting his head in his hands. "It's normal for Arthur to not realize that something was off, though I'm surprised it took this long for them to realize something _was_."

"You're too soft," Draco murmured, rubbing Harry's back in comfort. "Let's go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow with settling the kids in their new rooms."

Harry looked at him with an amused look. "Their new rooms? What happened to the ones they were staying in before?"

Draco shrugged. "The house-elves decided that since they knew the boys' personalities now, they could take the chance to redecorate their rooms. This should be interesting."

Harry laughed and leaned into him. "I can't wait to see what they've got planned," he murmured as he leaned closer and did what he'd been wanting to do all evening. He kissed Draco, feeling a slight tingle of pleasure.

"Ewww!" they heard behind them.

Looking at the doorway, Harry laughed as he saw Rebecca and James standing at the door. "What are you two still doing up?" he asked as Draco craned his neck to look at the two kids.

"We want to know if Rebecca can sleep in my room. She finds the house creepy and can't sleep."

Harry looked at Draco who shrugged indifferently. "Sure, but make sure you actually go to sleep. No playing around," Harry told them.

"Yes, sir," they said in unison and ran back upstairs.

"Now," Harry murmured, looking down at Draco. "Where were we?"

"How about we take this upstairs?" Draco murmured waggling his eyebrows up and down, smiling suggestively.

Harry pretended to think it over and laughed as Draco reached out and tickled his side. "Alright. At least we can close the door against annoying kids."

"I hear that," Draco muttered as he followed Harry up the stairs and down the hall towards the room they would be sharing.

Harry was sitting at the kitchen table listening to Draco talk with Sirius and laughing at what he came up with. It was amazing how kids said almost anything that came to mind.

At the same time, James was showing Rebecca how to play a card game called 'Snap' and she was beating the pants off him.

"I don't know, Draco. I think maybe we have a strategist among the family," Harry murmured as Rebecca's hand came down on the pile of cards and yelled 'snap!', making James jump at the suddenness.

"I know," Draco said before returning to his conversation with the little boy.

An owl flew into the kitchen from the open window and landed on the back of Sirius' chair, waiting patiently as Harry got up and got some money for the _Daily Prophet_ it carried. He also gave it a few owl pellets for its trouble.

As it flew out the window, Draco opened it up and swore as he read the headlines. Looking over his shoulder, Harry groaned as he read the caption. "Great. Like we didn't have enough problems. I guess I'll have to fire an idiot later today," Draco muttered, frowning as he skimmed over the article.

_Harry Potter and His New Woman!_

Beneath it was the picture of the four of them as they'd exited the elevator after court. And of course, the article went downhill from there. Why did they have to make shit up? Harry wondered as he went over the article, losing interest after the first five lines. Why couldn't his private life remain private?

Then he noticed the article beneath it.

_Massive Breakout From Azkaban!_

_An investigation has been launched to ascertain who aided in the escape of several high-profile escaped convicts fro Azkaban last night. So far, there is no evidence of collaboration within the current guards, but no one is being discounted. Amongst the group of escapees are Ginny Potter, Blaise Zabini, and the newly caught Hermione Granger who had been thought killed in the war. __Stay with us for more details of this story as they become available._

"I thought it had been too easy," Draco muttered as he frowned. "We're not safe here. Let's go back to the Manor. I have to check on the wards."

"I have to fix the ones here before we leave," Harry said, walking out of the kitchen as Draco rose to his feet and picked up Lily from her high chair.

"Put the cards away and get ready to go," he told the older three.

James nodded, pulled the cards into a pile and put them in his pocket. "We can play again later," he told Rebecca.

Draco was alerted to the danger with some noise from the living room. "Tripp, take the children and hide them at the Manor," he said as he handed Lily to the house-elf and carefully went looking for Harry, wand drawn, confident the kids would be hidden well.

**Chapter 28 - Captured**

Draco was alerted to the danger by the noise coming from the living room. "Tripp, take the children and hide them at the Manor," he said as he handed Lily to the house-elf and carefully went looking for Harry, wand drawn, confident the kids would be hidden well.

"Get off me!" he heard Harry growl, apparently ambushed in the living room.

He heard Blaise laugh. "That's it, fight, Potter, because you're not getting away this time."

"Search the rest of the house. She wants to make sure the kids are still here, then we can take them all to the Granger house," Ginny ordered, alerting Draco to hide before someone walked past him. He heard two sets of footsteps go by him, one heading up the stairs and the other going in the direction of the kitchen. They came running back a few minutes later.

"They're all gone," he heard someone growl. He heard Harry laugh before he gasped in pain. "Thought that was funny, _Potter_?" the voice demanded as Draco moved closer and saw five people in the living room besides Harry. He recognized Ginny, Goyle and Blaise, but the other two he didn't recognize. The person standing closest to Harry drew his foot back and kicked him in the ribs again, just for good measure and Draco wanted to hex the moron badly, but knew it would give him away and right now, Harry needed him free to get him out.

"I told you we should have put up a Silencing spell up when we arrived. The noise he made probably alerted Draco," Blaise said as he shoved Harry back onto the floor when he made to rise. "Stay down," he ordered angrily.

"It doesn't matter. It'll only be a matter of time before Hermione gets inside Malfoy Manor. The idiot didn't even change his Wards at the end of the war so we have time," Ginny drawled as she walked closer to Harry and knelt down to look at him. "Hello, _dear_. It was rude of you to put us in Azkaban, but we're free now and we're going to try this again. Our Lord is waiting impatiently to be brought back."

She frowned when Harry laughed and winced as it jarred his bruised ribs. "I guess she didn't tell you that's not going to happen anymore," he drawled, looking up at her, defiance on his face.

"What do you mean?" Blaise demanded as he looked at him, unsure if he should believe him.

"I mean that Hermione was hit by one of your guys with the Killing curse, but instead of killing her, it killed the part of Voldemort that existed inside of her." Blaise drew his arm back and hit Harry in the chest, knocking the air out of him.

"You lie," he growled angrily as he pulled his arm back for another punch.

"Enough!" Ginny yelled, making Blaise pause. Harry coughed and laughed at them.

"Why would I lie? It's how I lived when he hit me with the Curse in the Forbidden Forest all those years ago." He laughed again at the look of doubt on the faces above him. "The Boy Who Survived the Killing curse not once, but twice!" He gasped in pain as Blaise's fist connected with his ribs again and they heard something crack.

"I told you to stop," Ginny yelled at Blaise and shoved him off Harry, who curled into a ball, arms around his chest as he tried to breathe through the pain.

"I won't put up with his lies!" Blaise yelled back at her.

"Go get the plans and let's get out of here. She's going to need to know about this delay," Ginny sighed, glaring. Blaise stalked past her, glaring back at her, giving Draco time to hide before the man walked past him and down the hallway.

He came back quickly. "They're gone!"

"What? We needed those to get into that manor! That and _him_" she said, pointing down at Harry. "Otherwise we can't get in."

"How were we supposed to accomplish that without even knowing where the damn thing is?" Goyle asked, frowning at Ginny.

"Never mind. We need to go. Grab him. The others should already be at the house."

Draco waited until they were gone, gritting his teeth when they hauled Harry to his feet, ignoring his gasp of pain, and Apparated away. He wanted to follow them, but he had to make it back to the Manor before they decided to test his Wards and get into his home in an effort to find the kids.

He Apparated away and appeared in the Manor foyer. Closing his eyes, he fixed the Manor Wards to block everyone from coming in. It meant that he'd have to key in Harry, the kids, Miranda and Snape once more, but it couldn't be helped. This way he was sure no one was coming in without permission.

Opening his eyes, he saw Tammy waiting for him to acknowledge her before she bowed to him. "Are the children safe?" he asked, wondering if he should firecall Snape and warn him about the breakout.

"Yes, Master," she told him, nodding so that her ears flapped back and forth.

"Did anyone come here while we were gone?"

"Yes, Master. The Dark Lady was here, but left growling. Coming back later, she said," she told him, eyes worried that he would punish her.

He frowned at that. The Dark Lady? Who..? Then it dawned on him. Hermione had been in his home, which made Ginny's comment of the Wards not yet changed make sense. That was how they knew the Wards hadn't been changed to eliminate anyone who'd been here during Voldemort's reign. It was true that he hadn't thought about changing the Wards after the war. He'd always meant to do it but had kept putting it off… until now. "But she's gone now?" he asked sharply.

"Yes, Master. She's gone. What should Tammy do if Dark Lady comes back?" Tammy asked, tilting her head to one side.

"She won't be back. I made sure of that. Watch the kids for a while. I need to get Harry back," he told her as he turned towards the fireplace. He needed to warn Snape.

"Yes, Master." With that Tammy left him in the foyer by himself. Walking to the fireplace, Draco threw a handful of Floo powder and firecalled Snape Manor.

A house-elf wearing a weird rag came jogging to see who it was and Draco realized it was Jarett. "Master Draco?" he asked in surprise.

"Where's Snape?" he asked impatiently.

"Theys be out, Master. Shopping," Jarett said, ears drooping slightly.

"Great," Draco muttered darkly. "When they get back, tell Snape to firecall me."

"Jarett will, Master," the house-elf assured him and Draco pulled his head out of the green flames. He wondered who Ginny had meant when she'd said the others would be at the house. The Granger house. How stupid could you be, to use your own family home as a base of operations?

Of course, if no one knew you were there, it was the perfect place. No one would suspect a Muggle home to hold anyone with magical powers. Now he just had to wait for Snape to contact him and they could work out a plan of attack.

"Alban!" he called out when he got tired of waiting.

The house-elf appeared beside him. "Master?"

"Stay here and wait for Snape to firecall. Come get me when he does," he told the little creature as he walked towards his study to take a look at the house plans.

Draco frowned when, an hour later, he still hadn't heard from Snape. What the hell could be keeping the man? It wasn't like he enjoyed shopping, no matter what he was buying, and he had a suspicious feeling it was for things to teach Miranda.

Where the hell was he?

Getting up with a sigh of exasperation, he decided to go to the Granger house. But what if they were on the lookout? Moving quickly, he went upstairs and into the room Harry had been using, wondering if the house-elves had moved his things into his room yet or not.

Funny that he hadn't heard of Hermione's capture when it happened, but then his family had fallen in disfavor with the Dark Lord by that time. He wondered if his father had known about it but he wasn't about to ask him about it either. It was a good thing he and mother had decided to go into exile. He couldn't be blamed for this.

Draco frowned as he realized that in the last few years, he hadn't thought about his parents once. Not once had he written to them or them to him. Maybe he should…

Draco shook his head at the direction his thoughts had taken. There was no use in speculating right now. He needed to help Harry. Unfortunately, Harry's room was empty so he hurried into his room.

He had to have brought it, he thought as he looked through the closet, but couldn't find it.

Frowning at the things the house-elves had brought over from Harry's home, he wondered in what Harry could have packed it in. He remembered Harry using it that year on the train when he'd wanted to spy on him.

His eyes landed on Harry's old school trunk and walked over to it. He wouldn't… would he?

Opening it up, he rifled through the trunk until his fingers met with soft cloth and he paused, eyes wide as he pulled it out.

The Invisibility Cloak!

Draping it over his arm, he hurried downstairs. In the Floo room, Alban was still standing guard, waiting for Snape to call. "Alban, when Snape calls back tell him I've gone to the Granger residence to rescue Harry."

"Yes, Master," Alban said, bowing low.

A realization came to him before he could leave the Floo room. He was going to need help, but who could he ask..?

Of course!

Throwing a handful of Floo powder, he firecalled Ronald Weasley. This was definitely a first. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever thought he'd ask a Weasley for help, but he was the only link he had to the Aurors.

"Malfoy?" Ron asked when he realized who he was looking at.

"Shut up and listen to me carefully, Weasley. Harry's been captured by Ginny and Hermione. Bring as many Aurors to Hermione's family home as you can."

"Hermione's home? Why?" Ron asked, frowning as he tried to process what Draco was telling him. Harry captured? Again?

"Because that's where Harry's being kept," Draco said, as if he were talking to a particularly stupid child.

Ron's face began to turn red. "I'll see how many I can round up."

Draco pulled out of the fireplace and walked out of the Manor. He didn't have time to wait for someone to show up. He just hoped Ron would be quick about it.

Outside, he pulled the cloak around his body, watching in amazement as his body vanished with a slight smile before he pulling it over his head. Once he was sure he was completely covered, he Apparated to Hermione's old home. He remembered the address from when Voldemort had wanted her parents killed… he wondered if the Dark Lord had gone through with the assassination or if he'd called it off.

Shrugging it off as insignificant, he looked around at the homes around Hermione house. Most of them appeared empty, including Hermione's and it was very quiet.

A Silencing Charm had been used he realized as he walked down the street before moving slowly across the road. He made sure his shoes didn't make a sound on the pavement, in case someone was on the look-out.

Just as he got to the hedge, one of Hermione's cronies came around the back, glowering as he looked around at the street and Draco froze, waiting to see if he was going to be discovered, hoping the cloak covered him completely.

When the man continued on his way, however, Draco sighed in relief and walked around to the path leading to the door, but instead of going to the door, he followed the man, careful to stay a few feet behind him in case he turned around. He thought he'd heard a noise on the street, but since the man didn't turn around, he figured it was probably just his nerves.

He was surprised to hear a woman screaming in pain and fear inside the house. Apparently they'd put the Silencing Charm around the property so no one else could hear, but weren't concerned if anyone inside the perimeter heard anything.

When they reached the back, Draco moved closer to the house, hoping he wasn't making too much noise as he got closer to the bushes by the back door. His eyebrows rose when he heard a muffled curse as a couple of Aurors jumped him.

That was when he noticed one of the men standing there was Ron. He was going to call out to the man when he heard voices from the window, which was opened a little. "They took care of the Malfoys?" he heard, followed by another scream of pain, and froze.

"How many did it take?" someone else asked and Draco thought it sounded like Blaise.

"Six. I guess they hadn't lost any of their spunk what with living the posh life in France. They took out four of our guys before they got the woman. I heard them say that if it hadn't been for that, they might not have gotten either of them." Draco smiled grimly in satisfaction as he realized who they were talking about. At least his parents hadn't gone down without a fight. "_She_ wasn't too happy when she found out. I hear Macnair paid with his life for the loss of his men."

Looking in the window, Draco could see the look of surprise on Blaise's face. "She actually went as far as killing him? For something he couldn't control?"

The other man shrugged. "She told him the Dark Lord won't put up with failure. She tortured him before finally killing him. Are we still doing the ritual to bring him back?"

Blaise frowned as he thought that through. "According to what Potter said tonight, it seems that our Lord is dead for good this time. I don't think the ritual will do any good. After we got Potter, I checked the Mark on my arm, and I think he was right. It's starting to fade," he said as he showed the other the Dark Mark on his arm. Even as far as he was, Draco could see the Mark was indeed lighter than it should be.

_So,_ Draco thought with a frown. _Harry's words are creating doubt among the enemy_. He wondered if that had been his plan all along. He watched the other man pull his own sleeve away from his arm to look at his own Mark.

"If the Dark Lord isn't coming back, why should we listen to _her_?" he asked, looking up at Blaise. "We were only going along with her plan because it meant _he_ was coming back to lead us. I didn't join up to listen to a Mudblood."

"Exactly," Blaise murmured with a narrowed look. "Get the ones you know you can trust and bring them back here. There's no point in going down with her." Draco was surprised when they got up and went into separate rooms.

He went over to where Ron was standing and tapped him on the shoulder, pulling the cloak off his head. "Malfoy? What are you doing with Harry's cloak?" he asked, pulling him away from the others so no one would overhear him.

"I didn't know how long you were going to be and I wanted to get here without being seen. I think we might be getting some company. Blaise and another man are going to get some friends. I think they're going to try and escape before Hermione realizes what's going on. I'm going inside to get Harry out."

Ron frowned at him, but nodded, going back to his co-workers.

Pulling the cloak back over his head, Draco walked back to the window in time to see Blaise coming back with a few men in tow. "We'll meet at the castle in France. If we keep our heads down, no one will realize who we are," Blaise said as he opened the back door and they walked outside... and right into the trap the Aurors had laid for them.

Moving quickly, he walked into the house ducking to avoid being hit by a _Stupefy_. He was surprised that no one inside the house was alerted to the fight outside, but figured the Death Eaters in the trap hadn't had a chance to yell out a warning to those inside.

Walking around, he came across another group with their heads together, whispering and looking around in case they got caught.

Draco wondered just how many of them were coming to the realization that their 'Lord' was never coming back. It seemed Hermione was quickly losing the support she'd once had, showing that they were really there for him and not her.

He smiled maliciously as the group got up and all but one of them walked out the front door, closing it quietly behind them. It looked like the Aurors were going to be busy tonight. He wondered just how many were going to manage to get away, but then, he didn't really care.

He just wanted to help Harry… and whoever kept screaming. Who were they torturing up there? He wondered as the screaming came again.

He followed the man as he went upstairs where another group of four men were sitting around a table with looks of boredom.

Well, it seemed he wouldn't have that many men to fight as they seemed to be deserting their posts before anyone noticed their absences. Draco continued down the hallway, following the sound of someone talking loudly.

At the last door, he slid in quietly and watched as Hermione stood in front of two people and was surprised to see Snape tied to a chair beside Harry's, another scream tore across the house though this time it was short. Draco realized who it was when he saw Snape tense against his bonds.

They had Miranda, too? He realized he hadn't seen Crabbe or Goyle in his walk around the house. Were they with her?

"Where are they, Harry? Or should I tell them to do worse things to her?" Hermione asked. Beside her stood Ginny with…

Draco had to blink a few times, thinking he was seeing things. Molly Weasley? Ginny was talking to her mother like she was a small puppy begging for attention. "Don't worry, Mum, your babies will be back," she murmured as she caressed the elder Weasley's hair.

Molly was looking at Ginny adoringly. If she'd been a puppy, her tail would have been wagging and she'd have been panting happily.

"What did you do to your mother, Ginny? Did she really deserve this?" Harry asked, nodding at Molly.

"It's all your fault," she told him, an eyebrow raised as she turned to look at him.

"How's that?"

"You turned her against me. She came to my room after you proposed to me and saw the Dark Mark. I couldn't let her ruin my plans, so I fixed her. Now she only sees what I tell her she sees."

"Answer me, Harry. Where are the children?" Hermione asked as she walked calmly over to Harry until he had to look up at her.

"You'll never get them, Hermione. By now, Draco's gone back to the Manor and changed the Wards. You won't get inside again," Harry told her, look defiant. "Besides, you have no use for them now that Voldemort is gone for good."

Harry was surprised when she slapped him, then remembered the wand Draco had snapped and laughed. "That's right, you don't have a wand anymore, do you?" he asked as he looked at her, ignoring his stinging cheek.

"What's he talking about, Mistress?" Ginny asked, frowning in confusion. "This is the second time he's said our Lord wasn't coming back and that you're wand's been snapped? Is that why you wanted my wand?"

"Don't listen to him. He'll try anything to make you doubt our mission," Hermione told her, glaring at Harry.

"Draco snapped it when we caught her. It's how she ended up in Azkaban. Don't you talk to your people, Hermione?" Harry asked her with an eyebrow raised. "Very poor practice."

"Shut up!" she screamed at him, hitting him again.

Ginny turned to look at Hermione, hand still on her mother's head as her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What he's saying is true, isn't it? If our Lord can't be brought back, why do we need the children?"

"Because we need them," Hermione snapped, turning to face Ginny. "How dare you question me? _Crucio!_"

Ginny screamed as she dropped to the floor, writhing in pain. Molly screeched and launched herself at Hermione. "How dare you hurt my baby!" she asked, clawing at Hermione's face, eyes wild.

It took a few moments, but Hermione managed to fight Molly back and pointed her wand at the elder Weasley. "_Avada Kedavra!_" Hermione screamed. Panting, Ginny struggled to her feet and ran at her, inadvertently catching the curse Hermione had shot at Molly. She flew back into the wall, landing on the floor with a vacant look on her surprised face.

With another screech, Molly launched at Hermione again. Both women went flying out the second story window neither had realized Hermione was standing in front of.

Moving quickly, Draco walked behind Harry and untied his hands before doing the same for Snape. Both men looked surprised when their bonds seemed to fall off. "We have to get out of here," Draco said as he pulled the cloak off.

At that point, two Aurors ran into the room, wands drawn. "Typical," Draco muttered softly. "Always late to the party."

"You brought the Aurors?" Harry asked, surprised at seeing the men.

"Technically, Ron did. I just told him where you were being kept. It looks like they managed to subdue a good portion of the escaping Death Eaters," Draco told him in amusement.

Snape hurried out of the room, ignoring the banter. Draco looked at Harry questioningly.

"They've been torturing Miranda since I got here," he told him as he followed the Potions master.

In the last room, they found Miranda huddled in the corner. Crabbe had been wrestled to the floor by three Aurors while Goyle lay in a pool of blood beside the bed, throat slashed open. There was a man crouched a few feet from Miranda and Harry now saw why he was keeping his distance.

She'd apparently managed to get a knife from one of her tormentors and was using it to protect herself from what she perceived as danger.

"Move," Snape ordered as he walked past the Auror, approaching his wife cautiously. "Miranda," he murmured softly, watching her carefully.

Her eyes were wild as she watched everyone in the room. She had quite a few cuts on her person and her dress bore rips, slashes and blood. It looked like she was the one who had killed Goyle. She whimpered and pushed herself deeper into the corner.

"It's Severus," he murmured softly, reaching cautiously out to her. When she made to lunge at him, the Auror pointed his wand at her, but Harry reached him before he could do anything.

"Let him. He's her husband." The Auror frowned at him, but nodded reluctantly. Harry and Draco watched as Snape caught her, easily avoiding the knife. She screamed in fear and anger, but he just cradled her back against him as he pried it out of her hand. The Auror moved quickly to collect the knife.

"Shh," he whispered in her ear as she struggled in his hold. "You're safe."

"No more," she pleaded, voice hoarse, as she continued to struggle, trying to get away, tears rolling down her cheeks when she realized she couldn't escape.

"No more," Snape agreed, his hold tightening around her until he felt her collapse against him in defeat. "I have you," he told her as he ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face.

"Take her home, Professor," Harry whispered, in case she went wild again.

Turning her around, he scooped her up in his arms and stood, and nodded to Harry and Draco before Apparating away, despite the protest of the Auror who'd been trying to get the knife from her. "But we need a statement!"

Harry turned to look at the idiot. "Are you really going to question a woman who's nearly catatonic?" he asked angrily.

The Auror looked at him and frowned.

"Forget it, Turner," Ron said from the door. "This is Harry Potter. You're not going to win an argument with him, especially when it comes to his family." Turner scowled at Ron and turned away from them. "Harry," Ron said, shaking his hand. "Sorry it took us so long to get here to help, but our hands were kind of full with all the Death Eaters trying to escape from the house."

"Did any of them escape?" Draco asked, eyebrow raised questioningly.

"A few, but we got most of them."

"How's your mother?" Harry asked, hand on his best friend's shoulder.

Ron was white, but he shook his head. "I don't know how she survived the fall, but she's alive. They're taking her to St. Mungo's to be evaluated. Hermione also survived, but I don't think she'll be walking again. The mediwizard who looked at her a few minutes ago said she broke her back when she landed on the rocks outside, that and the lump on the back of her head. We'll know more when the healers at St. Mungo's look at her. Funny thing is, if she'd have landed five inches to the right, she'd have survived with a few broken bones," he said with a shrug. "What happened in that room?"

"Hermione cast the Cruciatus curse at Ginny, which sent your mum screaming at her while she tried to claw Hermione's eyes out. By the time Hermione managed the fight your mother off, Ginny had recovered enough to try and attack her. Unfortunately, Hermione sent the Killing curse at your mum. Ginny got in the way and caught it. Your mum went after Hermione again and they went crashing through the window."

Ron sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "You're going to be at Malfoy Manor?" he asked them tiredly. At their nods, he sighed again. "Go home. If we need to ask you some questions, we'll contact you."

"Thanks, Ron, and…" Harry hesitated, unsure how Ron would take his sympathy where Ginny was concerned. "I'm sorry about Ginny. I didn't want this for her, you know?"

Ron nodded and smiled slightly. "I know, mate. I'll talk to you later."


	10. Chapters 29 to 31

Beta'd by Bubba and Lady Katye

**Chapter 29 – Normal Lives?**

"We need to get you to St. Mungo's and have your ribs looked at," Draco told Harry after they'd Apparated outside the Manor doors and Draco had added him to the wards.

"I need to see the kids first," Harry murmured, wincing when he took a deep breath and it jarred his ribs.

"I'm beginning to think you don't trust me to make sure they're protected," Draco said with a raised eyebrow.

Harry looked at him in surprise. "You know I do. It's one of the reasons I didn't panic as much as I did when they came through the fireplace at Grimmauld Place. I knew if I made enough noise, you'd hear and get them out."

"Then trust me now and let's go to St. Mungo's. You know the kids will worry if they know you were hurt trying to protect them," Draco told him in a tone that meant he was serious.

Sighing in resignation, Harry nodded and allowed Draco to pull him into his arms. "Besides," Draco murmured, eyes darkening in pleasure at the feel of him against him. "I'd rather not worry about hurting you later tonight."

Harry laughed and winced. "Let's get this over with. You have business to do at the _Daily Prophet_ later anyway."

Draco laughed and Apparated them away.

"You should have come here as soon as it happened," the mediwizard said with a disapproving look as he turned and picked up a potion for Harry to take. Draco exchanged an amused look with Harry at the unlikely chance of that. "We wouldn't have to heal your broken ribs, just the crack in them."

They hadn't told the man anything, not wanting to have to answer unwanted questions. So, of course, he assumed it had been something he and Draco had been doing together that had broken his ribs.

"I was kind of… tied up, at the time," Harry murmured, ignoring Draco as he snorted at the pun as he downed the potion, trying not to gag at the taste. "How long will it take to mend?"

"You should be good as new in a few hours. You can go home now, and stay away from whatever broke your ribs in the first place," the mediwizard told him with a look of warning.

"Oh trust me, that won't be hard to do." He smiled when the mediwizard shot him a look, probably trying to figure out if Harry was making fun of him. "Can I go now?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." They walked out of St. Mungo's and into the street. He noticed Draco frowning. "What's wrong?"

"We forgot to ask how Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were doing."

Harry shrugged and started walking toward the _Daily Prophet_ building. "I figured I'd let Ron tell me. I don't really want to have to deal with the publicity I'd get from announcing who I am. Especially in there."

"Ah," Draco murmured in understanding. "One more stop and then we can go reassure the kids that the danger is almost over."

Harry looked over at him in confusion. "Almost over?"

"There's still the party invites to send out and then the actual party to get through. Once all the parading has been taken care of, then I will consider the danger passed," Draco drawled and smiled slightly as Harry groaned at the idea of being the center of attention once again.

"We can't skip this… spectacle, can we?" Harry asked hopefully, eyes pleading with him to say they could.

"Sorry, Harry, but we have to do this. Unless you want everyone to believe you and Miranda are an item."

Harry sighed in resignation. "Fine," he muttered darkly, glaring at the ground. "As long as we don't have to do too many of these… displays. I hate being the center of attention."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, just enjoying being with one another. As they neared the building, Harry frowned in thought. "Are you really going to have that reporter fired?"

Draco shrugged indifferently. "I'm not sure yet. I will be demanding a retraction, though." He held the door for Harry and followed behind before they walked to the receptionist's desk.

"Can I help you?" she asked in a nasally voice that grated on the nerves. Harry was glad she didn't work for him. He didn't know how he'd be able to handle that.

"We'd like to see the editor," Draco told her with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but Mr. Cuffe isn't seeing anyone today," she told him, looking up at him over her glasses.

Draco's smile widened and his eyes became extremely cold. Harry thought he saw her shiver at the look. "Well, then I'm sure he'll be happy to hear from my lawyer instead. Coming?" he asked Harry as he turned towards the door.

They only made it to the door before she called out to them. "Wait!" she said urgently, standing up, and Draco turned with a raised eyebrow.

"Was there something else you required?" he asked casually. Harry didn't turn around but kept facing the outside, just so she couldn't see him smile, impressed that Draco hadn't lost any of his old flare.

"Mr. Cuffe is coming down. Please have a seat," she told them in a huff. She didn't like being railroaded by anyone, but couldn't say anything unless she wanted to lose her job. And they both knew it.

They didn't have long to wait. The man in question came bustling through a door, smile on his face. "Hello," he murmured as he shook their hands before leading them through another door that, by the looks of it, was where meetings were held. "What can I help you with, sir?"

"Mr. Cuffe, I'll get right to the point of this visit. I want you to print a retraction to that obviously fabricated story on Harry Potter to be distributed this evening," Draco told the old man, whose smile slipped slightly as he regarded the two men were. "And I want the reporter responsible for its content placed in a position where he can no longer write such inaccuracies anymore."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. If I were to retract a story, people would lose faith in this paper. I assure you that what was printed was verified…" his voice trailed off as he saw Draco's face harden.

"I assure you that the facts were indeed _not_ verified. In fact, the reporter was warned that if he _did_ in fact print the story he had, that I would have him fired. Now as I own over half the voting shares in your company, I'm prepared to not only fire the idiot, but to do a complete overhaul of this pathetic company."

Mr. Cuffe's face went white then red. "I don't know who you think you are, but you and your friend will leave this building immediately!"

Draco took a step closer to the older man. "I," he told him coldly, "am Draco Malfoy and my friend here is Harry Potter. So you'll have to believe me when I tell you that the _facts_ have indeed _not_ been verified."

Mr. Cuffe went pale as he looked from one to the other, recognition lighting his eyes. "I-I'll have the retraction printed for this evening, but people will want to know who she is. Otherwise the retraction won't mean much."

"Well," Draco murmured as he backed up a step or two. "This is what you'll print…"

Draco looked over at Harry, a little worried. He'd been awfully quiet since they'd left the _Daily Prophet_ and it was starting to make Draco a little anxious. "You alright, Harry?" he asked after he'd given his cloak to Tammy, taking Harry's from him.

He shook his head. "Did you really have to announce our gathering like that? What's to stop anyone from showing up?" he asked finally and Draco sighed in relief. He'd thought he'd done something wrong.

"Easy. They have to show an invitation, which is the next thing on my to do list. Alban!" Draco said as he waited for Harry to process the information. The house-elf Apparated between them, bowing respectfully to Draco. "You can bring the kids out now."

"Yes, Master."

A few minutes later they were covered in arms and shrill voices. Draco looked over to see Harry surrounded by his boys. Not far away stood a house-elf, carrying Lily who was struggling to get down. When the little creature let her down, he was surprised to see her walk over to Harry. Her balance wasn't what it would be with practice, but she didn't fall.

Bending down, Harry picked her up when she got closer. "What a clever girl you are, Lily," he murmured as he kissed her cheek. "Let's go sit down in the living room and relax," he told all of them, and Draco sighed happily as he and Rebecca followed the Potter family – his family, he realized.

They'd just settled down side by side on the couch when a house-elf Apparated next to Harry. "Master Harry, the red-headed one wishes to come through. Should he be allowed?"

Draco frowned and shrugged when Harry looked at him questioningly. "I had to reset the wards to keep unwanted company out. Everyone has to be rekeyed in. Allow Mr. Weasley to come through and escort him here, please," he told the house-elf.

In minutes, Ron walked into the living room with Arthur behind him. Automatically, the boys moved closer to Harry, and Draco knew Harry was saddened by it. It wasn't natural for kids to fear their grandfather, but then the elder Weasley had brought it on himself.

"Why don't you three go play outside?" Harry asked as he rubbed the boys' backs comfortingly. James looked at Harry, then shrugged and led Rebecca and Sirius out the French doors, leaving Lily with the adults. "Ron. Arthur. To what do we owe this visit?"

"Good news," Arthur said with a smile of relief. "According to the Healers, Molly's recovering from whatever spell she'd been under and shouldn't have any adverse affects."

Draco and Harry exchanged brief looks. They knew why the spell had lifted. Ginny was dead and spells usually didn't survive the caster's death. Of course there were exceptions to that rule, such as Hogwarts, the Manor and other older buildings that were steeped in magic and of course, Harry's cloak.

"What about Hermione?" Harry asked Ron, who was watching them, but didn't say anything.

Draco knew Ron would be asking Harry questions later, probably when they were alone.

"Apparently when she hit her head, she was injured a lot more seriously than we thought. The Healers said she's in a coma and don't know when – if ever - she'll wake up. They said they'd keep up us in the loop," Ron said with a shrug.

Draco frowned as he realized what this meant. "Are the Aurors going to keep a guard on her? In case she does wakes up?"

"Yeah, for now, anyway."

"What's that supposed to mean? Don't they think she needs watching?" Harry asked in alarm and Draco knew he was talking about all the problems she'd caused him these last few months.

Ron shrugged helplessly. "It all depends on what the higher ups say. Right now, she's being guarded. We'll know more as time goes by."

Draco reached over and rubbed Harry's back comfortingly, ignoring the look the other two men were giving him. Harry needed him and he was damned if company was going to stop him from giving it to his partner.

"On another note," Draco murmured before Harry could really get upset. "We're having a gathering in a few nights to celebrate our marriage. Will you be attending?" He wanted to laugh at the looks on their faces.

"Really?" Ron said, not knowing what else to say. Of course he knew about them being married, but he hadn't thought they'd advertise it like this. Draco was just waiting for their reactions to begin.

"Um," Arthur murmured, clearing his throat. "I-I think so."

"We'll see you at the party then, Harry," Ron murmured as he led his father out of the room.

"Well," Draco murmured in amusement. "The party should be interesting." He looked at Harry in concern when the other started laughing.

"That should be an understatement," he murmured, rubbing at his eyes.

"Why don't you go outside with the kids. Relax for a while. I'll go over to Snape Manor and see if Severus has those potions I need." Harry looked at him in surprise but nodded in understanding.

Leaning into him, Harry kissed him gently before heading outside, balancing Lily on his hip. "Don't forget to tell them about the gathering in two days."

With a shake of his head, Draco went into the Floo room. "Snape Manor!" he called out, throwing a handful of powder down. The green flames enveloped him and in no time he was at Snape Manor. He frowned when no one came to see who had arrived as he walked out of the fireplace, dusting himself off.

Jarett suddenly appeared in front of him. "Master Draco," he said, bowing respectfully.

"Where's Snape and Miranda?" he asked as he looked around.

"Master Snape upstairs with Mistress," he said, tugging on his ears in distress.

"What's wrong, Jarett?" he asked, as he knelt down so the house-elf didn't have to look up so high. It was uncharacteristic of him, but felt this was the best approach before the creature decided he had to punish himself for something.

He shook his head, eyes luminous with unshed tears. "Mistress not good. She huddled in corner, watching. Always watching. Eyes wild. Why?"

"I don't know, Jarett, but Snape will help her. Are they in his room?" The little house-elf nodded so quickly his ears flopped back and forth. "Why don't you bring up some tea?" he suggested as he rose to his feet.

He walked around the house-elf before he could Apparate away and walked up the stairs. He could hear someone talking and figured it was Snape talking to Miranda. Carefully, he knocked lightly on the door, waiting for someone to open it, instead of just walking in, like he usually did.

He heard someone curse as a scurrying noise came from inside. Snape answered the door with an impatiently growled, "What?" He blinked when he recognized Draco, sighed and looked back at Miranda.

"How is she?" he asked as he noticed she was still crouched in the corner, eyes wary, watching them carefully.

With another sigh, Snape moved out of the way and allowed Draco to come in, but stopped him from entering any further. "I don't know what they did, but I think, in her mind, she's trapped in that room. I have to figure out a way to get her calmed down enough to realize she's not there anymore."

"Need some help?" Draco asked as he glanced over at Miranda.

Snape shrugged helplessly. "I don't know what to do. Every time I take out my wand to check her, she screams and cringes further into the corner. I'd managed to get her a couple of feet away from it before you knocked."

Draco frowned and moved closer to him, speaking softly so she wouldn't hear. "What if I Stunned her? I can pull out my wand while standing behind you. She'll never know what hit her. Then you can do your scans. Once you're done and have figured what they did to her, you'll be better equipped to help her."

He could see that Snape didn't like the idea, but it was the only option they had, so he nodded once. While Snape was facing him, he pulled out his wand, making sure Miranda didn't see it and hid it in his robes, making sure it wasn't noticeable.

Snape turned to look at Miranda, face betraying nothing as he watched Draco take a few steps closer to the frightened woman in the corner. At the last second, he pulled it out. "_Stupefy_!" They watched as Miranda slumped down against the wall.

Walking over to her, Snape picked her up and laid her on the bed. Tipping her head back slightly, he pulled out a phial out of his robes and poured it down her throat, being careful that she didn't choke on the liquid. "She should sleep for a while," he murmured tiredly, rubbing at his eyes. "Was there a point to your visit?" he asked, turning to look at Draco just as the tea setting appeared on the coffee table.

Draco shook his head as he sat down on the couch. "Tea?" he asked, eyebrow raised in question.

With a tired sigh, he joined Draco, nodding in answer. Without a word, Draco poured two cups of tea and handed one to him. They sat quietly drinking their tea for a few minutes, Draco watching his godfather discretely. He took in the slight changes in his face, the tired lines around the man's eyes and mouth, and knew he needed some time without all the happenings around here.

Now that Hermione had been caught and the threat neutralized, he would be able to live his life, just like Harry and Draco could. "I came over to get the potions you said you had," Draco murmured after a few more minutes of silence, knowing that this would be as relaxed as Snape would be until he could do his scans and help Miranda.

Snape nodded slightly. "I thought it might be that. I put them in the pouch on the table downstairs this morning. I intended to deliver them to you tonight, but that was before…" he said, waving a hand, gesturing towards the bed. "I read the paper this morning and wondered if you'd got that idiot reporter fired for the inaccuracies he had written."

"Actually, I didn't, but I did tell Mr. Cuffe to put him into a position where he can't report inaccuracies anymore. He was real happy to print a retraction for this evening. It's also going to tell people who Miranda is to Harry now, and that he and I are married. We were also wondering if you two would be interested in joining us in a few days at a little celebration, just to make sure everyone knows that the article was indeed false, but I know it'll depend on how things go here."

Snape looked over at the bed and sighed. "We'll have to see. I'll let you know if we're not comng."

"Fair enough. I'll send you an invitation anyway, since it'll be the only way to get in. I'll let you get to your scans and talk to you later." Draco put down his cup and got up. When he passed Snape, he squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. Snape smiled slightly and nodded. Making his way downstairs, Draco saw the pouch Snape had mentioned and took it with him as he walked to the living room fireplace.

Harry watched the older kids play sedately close by and knew they worried that something else was going to happen. Unfortunately he didn't know what to do to help them cope, except to let time heal. It seemed, though, that the only one not really affected was Lily, who played in her playpen beside the table.

He took a sip of his tea and sighed tiredly. At least it was done. No more attacks… at least not from that type of enemy. Now all he had to do was to wait for the evening release of the _Daily Prophet_. This should be interesting. Hopefully the information would be accurate this time.

He began to wonder what was taking Draco so long. He'd been gone for a couple of hours. Surely it didn't take _that_ long to talk to Miranda and Snape, he thought with a frown. That thought made him groan aloud and he put his head in his hands as a realization occurred to him.

"What's wrong?" Draco asked suddenly.

Harry blinked up at him in surprise. "What? Oh, I was just thinking of Miranda and Snape," he said by way of explanation. Draco's eyebrows rose at the cryptic answer. "I just realized that with Miranda being blood-related to me, it makes Snape my brother-in-law."

Draco tried not to laugh. "Figured that out, have you?" he asked in amusement and smiled when Harry threw him a dirty look. "I wondered how long it would take you to figure that one out."

"Shut up," he muttered, earning a laugh from Draco. "It took you a long time to get the potions. Did he have to make them for you?"

"Actually, I was only there for a little while. I was in the study writing the invitations to our party. I had one of the house-elves deliver them. Have you thought about what you're going to wear?"

Harry shrugged dismissively. "Whatever I have in the closet." When Draco gave him a horrified look, he blinked in surprise. "What?"

"_We_ are going shopping," Draco declared suddenly and Harry wasn't sure if he should worry about the sudden gleam in his husband's eyes when he said shopping. "Kids," he called out as he pulled a surprised Harry to his feet. "Let's go to Diagon Alley and get new clothes."

"Really?" Sirius and James said in unison.

"Yes, if we're going to have a gathering in two days, we need to get you something suitable," Draco said as he picked Lily up. Shall we go shopping?" he asked the little girl, who giggled and hugged him tightly.

"Shop!" she said, surprising everyone before they burst out laughing.

Harry decided to turn in early that night, after making sure the boys and Lily were settled in. He'd been surprised at the look of their rooms.

James had a landscape of stars on his ceiling, which lit up in the dark and twinkled, just like real stars. The walls had been painted to resemble a forest and bespelled to sound like he was really outside instead of inside.

Sirius's looked like a cave, with moss-like carpet.

They'd been impressed. It had been funny when they'd entered Lily's room to find that it looked like a huge doll house. She'd wriggled to get out of Harry's arms and crawled over to the big teddy bear in the corner, where she'd collapsed on it with a giggle.

Along with all their belongings and new clothes, his children seemed to have settled into the manor quite comfortably.

He lay back on the bed with a tired sigh and wondered how long Draco would stay up. If he should wait for him or simply turn in.

At least no one was going to try to kill him or his family anymore, especially since Hermione was out of the picture… so to speak. Most of her posse had been taken into custody, though some did escape the Aurors. Harry was sure they would leave him alone now. Voldemort was truly dead now and couldn't come back, for which he was grateful. That was one person he didn't want to deal with ever again.

Tomorrow, the house-elves would be busy getting things ready for the party and Harry hoped everything would go off without a hitch. He really needed this to go smoothly. He was tired of all the action happening around him.

Thankfully Mr. Cuffe had been true to his word. An evening edition to the _Daily Prophet_ had been delivered to the Manor after supper and surprisingly, it had read exactly as Draco had outlined it to the man.

It told everyone that Miranda and he were, indeed, _not_ an item but brother and sister. It had also told everyone of his and Draco's marriage and the party coming up that would include a few choice people and that the party was by invitation only… which probably meant a few reporters, and other people would be trying to crash the party, most of them just so they could brag that they'd been there.

He couldn't wait for everything to be over with.

"I thought I'd find you in here," he heard Draco murmur from the doorway.

Looking over, he saw the blond standing against the now closed door, smiling at him. "I wasn't sure what you were going to do, but I thought I'd turn in early. I'm beat."

Draco's eyebrow rose and he walked over to the bed. "Should I take the potions now? Or do you want to wait until after the party?"

Harry laughed. "Considering how much trouble likes to follow us around, you might as well take it tonight, before something else happens," Harry said as he sat up.

Draco smirked knowingly at him before heading into the bathroom, where he'd put the potions.

Getting up, Harry began pulling his clothes off, actually looking forward to doing this. At first he'd been a little worried… Okay, a lot. He'd been surprised at first to find out men could actually have babies, but as he'd thought about it, he'd been more and more excited about it. Of course the fact that Draco would be carrying the child and not him, as he'd imagined, had been a relief.

He smirked to himself as he realized he was actually putting his clothes on the chair instead of the floor like he usually did. It had driven Ginny mad, having to pick up after him… which hadn't been often. Harry had learned to pick up after himself, living with five other boys in the dorm… and living at the Dursleys'.

Now there was a house he didn't regret not having to visit again.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Draco come up behind him until his arms went around his waist. "What are you thinking about that's occupied your thoughts so much you don't hear when called?" he murmured in Harry's ear in amusement.

Smiling, Harry let his head fall back against Draco's shoulder. "Sorry, you wanted something?"

"Well, I figured we could take a relaxing bath, since we have to make this last as long as possible."

Harry frowned, not understanding and realized he'd never been in Draco's bathroom before. He wondered how it would differ from the one that had been in his room. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Draco whispered seductively as he began walking backwards, pulling Harry back with him, licking the ear he was whispering in, "that we have to let the anticipation build up as long as possible. They say that the higher the sexual build up, the better the chances of conceiving. So let's start with a bath and see what else we can do so as to get each other so horny we can't think about anything but fucking each other."

Harry's breathing hitched up and his eyes darkened in pleasure as Draco's breath tickled his ear. "Sounds like this could take a while. What about the kids?"

"The house-elves have instructions if we take too long. I'd anticipated you wanting to do this tonight." He nipped lightly at Harry's ear, smiling when Harry moaned in pleasure. "They'll even make sure we have food so we can keep our strength… up." His eyebrows waggled in suggestion before he let his head bend down a little to suck at Harry's shoulder.

He was amused when he saw Harry's prick begin to stand at attention, almost like he'd touched it. He realized they were at the bathroom door and pulled away from Harry, who groaned at the loss, leading Harry inside.

He looked back when Harry gasped in surprise and laughed slightly. There were candles everywhere, but when he looked back at Harry he realized he was looking at the tub.

Harry would have called it a pool, really. It was big enough for twenty people, and they had it all to themselves. It reminded Harry of the Prefects' bathroom at Hogwarts.

Draco pulled on the hand still in his and Harry followed willingly. They stepped into the water, the bubbles tickling at their legs. "I could learn to like this," Harry murmured with a slight smile as he looked at Draco.

"Is that right?" Draco said in amusement as he walked to the deep end of the tub, which brought the water a little past his waist. "Why don't you come over here, then?"

The look in his eyes made Harry's heart speed up a little as he followed, almost like he was in a trance, though he was more than willing.

He waded over to where Draco stood and smiled mischievously. "So we have to last a long time?" he asked as he moved closer, making Draco back up playfully, feeling excitement flowing through his body, making his body stir with interest.

He stopped when he felt the seat that had been built into the end of the tub and watched in anticipation as Harry came towards him, looking like a predatory cat stalking its prey. It was amazing the way it transformed Harry, made him seem more menacing in a way he'd never imagined.

And it was turning him on.

When Harry was close enough, he pulled Draco into his arms and kissed him teasingly. Draco growled in frustration when, for the third time, he tried to deepen the kiss, and, with a mischievous look, Harry pulled back enough for him to miss. "Hold still," he growled as he pulled him closer.

Harry laughed huskily, telling Draco he wasn't unaffected by the teasing. "Can't take it?" he asked teasingly as he moved his head so that Draco kissed his cheek instead of his lips. He laughed again when Draco growled again and Harry felt Draco's length brush against his leg. He wasn't even hard yet, though he was well on the way.

"So explain how this is supposed to work. How many potions did you take?" Harry asked, peppering Draco's face and neck with kisses. He wondered if one of the potions wasn't the reason behind Draco's sudden sensitivity. Not once in all the times since they'd become lovers had Draco ever responded to him this quickly. He also wondered if this was normal. He'd have to remember to ask Draco tomorrow, just in case.

"I took one already. I have to take one more before you actually have me," he murmured distractedly, eyes closing in pleasure. What Harry was doing was forcing him to concentrate on what he had to say. "Then another after we've finished."

"And where's the next one you have to take?" Harry asked, before sucking on Draco's neck.

Draco gasped in pleasure, letting his head fall back to give him better access. It took him a few seconds to register the question. "Um, over by the sink. The blue one, then the black one."

Harry bit the skin above Draco's collarbone, enjoying Draco's moan of pleasure. So he had to make it build up as long as possible? He wondered when it would be enough. "Is the lube there, too?"

"Mm," Draco murmured , eyes closed, enjoying the attack on his senses and wondering just how long he could last.

"What about the other three?" he asked when he noticed the remaining phials on the counter. Draco frowned, too far gone to register the question. Sighing, he went back to his assault on Draco's body, his fingers making their way down Draco's chest, nimble fingers brushing against the sensitive nipples. Draco moaned at the touch, arching his back against the touch, wanting more.

He gasped as Harry dipped down and lightly nipped at it before sucking on it. He pulled away and turned with Draco, ignoring the whimper when he did and backed up until he could sit on the ledge, pulling Draco with him. The water reached just below his nipples, but added to the heat he could feel building between them.

Wordlessly and wandlessly, the blue bottle and the lube flew into Harry's hand, one at a time. He placed them carefully on the side of the tub, far enough away to not be in the way and not be knocked into the water, but close enough that he could still reach them.

"Put a leg on each side of me and sit on my lap," he instructed as he pulled Draco back to him. He waited until the other was settled before he went back to teasing Draco's mouth again. He wanted to laugh at the sigh of pleasure and relief that came from Draco, but didn't think it would be appropriate.

Draco ran his fingers through Harry's hair trying to deepen the kiss. He whimpered again as Harry continued to lick and kiss him, his hand caressing along Harry's jaw.

"Mmm," Harry sighed, finally letting his tongue out to meet with Draco's. He brought one hand up to settle on the back of Draco's head. Draco slid his lips over Harry's, sucking on his tongue as he did so.

Harry moaned again and felt a shiver of pleasure surge through him. He reached between them a bit and used his free hand to cup Draco's arse and run his fingers over the skin of there. Draco cock jumped in response to Harry's teasing hand. Harry slid his finger into the crack of Draco's arse and gently ran it in small circles around his entrance, moaning again, loving Draco's reaction to the light touch.

Draco was breathing fast through his nose, still sucking and licking at Harry's tongue and lips. He trembled at Harry's touch, gently pushing back against the teasing finger.

Harry smiled as best he could with Draco devouring his mouth and pushed just a bit of his finger inside, using the water to ease his way. Draco pushed past Harry's lips, licking and sucking still. He whimpered as Harry pushed in, loving the teasing but wanting more. Pushing further in slowly, Harry groaned at the heat, his eyes closing slightly as he felt Draco close around his finger.

Soon he was adding another, pushing his fingers deeper inside, moving them slowly. He moaned and looked up at Draco's face again. He was so gorgeous and needy looking and Harry's cock hardened at the sight of him.

He wondered if it was enough teasing, or if he should do more. Leaning forward, he licked at the closest nipple before sucking on it, listening to Draco pant and moan, and feeling himself become so hard it hurt. He didn't know how long he could wait before he pushed into Draco, glad he'd bought that book the day they were in Diagon Alley without anyone noticing.

Pushing a third finger in, Harry switched nipples as Draco arched up against him, mewling in pleasure.

Fuck it, Harry thought as he pulled his fingers away from Draco's entrance, ignoring the whimper of protest as he reached for the phial. "Drink," he ordered, pulling the stopper out and holding it against Draco's mouth.

It was just to show how much Draco was lost in the world of pleasure that he opened his mouth so Harry could pour it in without protesting. He watched as Draco swallowed the liquid before he reached for the lube.

Slicking himself – though he probably didn't need it but didn't want to chance hurting Draco – he looked up as Draco rubbed himself against him, like he was craving the contact of skin on skin, moaning his need for more. Harry lined himself up by feel and pushed up, pulling his head down for a kiss. Draco gasped and pushed down, helping him slide further in, crying out when the angle they were in allowed Harry hit just the right spot.

Harry groaned, even Draco threading his hands in his hair felt good, adding to his pleasure. He grabbed hold of Draco's hips and pushing him up then down. Draco gasped, eyes closing as he helped, pushing himself up then down for the next thrust. Soon they were moving together, gasping and kissing, ignoring the water that slapped against them with their movements.

Draco moaned, shuddering as the pressure inside him grew and moved faster, wanting Harry to fuck him harder. He spread his legs a little more and Harry growled in pleasure as he slid in deeper.

Pushing on his hips, Harry thrust up harder, wanting to be as deep as he could as he felt himself getting closer to the end. Draco threw his head back, breaking their kiss, gasping as he rode Harry.

It didn't take long after that for Harry to cry out and grind up against Draco as he climaxed and was surprised when Draco did the same. He hadn't even touched him. Both men stayed there, panting, neither one wanting to move.

Finally, Harry looked over at the sink and called the black phial to him. Pulling the stopper out, he held it out to Draco. "Here," he murmured breathlessly. "Drink."

Opening one eye, Draco managed to get his hand to work and downed the potion and closed his eye again. "Two more to go," he panted, feeling absolutely boneless.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes before Draco got up, wincing slightly as Harry slid out of him. "Time to wash up before round two," he murmured playfully.

Harry's eyebrows rose. "Round two?"

"Yeah," he murmured as he reached behind Harry for the face clothes on the shelf above him, holding one out to him. "The next one I take before we have sex again, and the last one in the morning. It's to guarantee a successful pregnancy. If you miss any steps, it won't happen, and you have to wait a month before you can try again."

Harry frowned as he took the cloth from Draco. "For some of it, it seemed that every touch was making you… I don't know, hornier. Is that normal?"

He was surprised when he saw Draco blush. "Yeah," he sighed, drawing out the word. "Some of the potions are designed to… stop the one getting pregnant from getting nervous and chickening out. The ones who designed the treatment figured that if you're going to go to all the trouble of trying to get pregnant, they should give you every opportunity to go through with it. If you can't think, then you don't hesitate." He shrugged indifferently. "I don't see a problem with it."

Harry's eyebrow rose at that. "You could've said something to me about it."

"I didn't want you to think I didn't want this. Does it matter?" Draco asked, turning his back to Harry, using the excuse of looking for the soap so he wouldn't see the anger in his lover's eyes.

Sighing, Harry reached behind him, where he'd seen the soap earlier and walked up behind Draco, holding it out. He kissed the back of Draco's neck before pulling him back against him. "No, it doesn't matter, love. It just surprised me, is all. Want me to wash your back?"

Draco smiled and nodded. He turned and kissed Harry, handing him the soap again. Life was definitely going to be fun around here with so many people around.

**Chapter 30 - The Party**

Draco was definitely feeling sore when he went downstairs for breakfast but he wouldn't change what had happened the night before for anything. He wondered if, even now, their child was growing inside him and felt warmth spread through him at the possibility.

He hadn't told Harry about the odd occasion where the man taking the potions _didn't_ get pregnant, since it didn't happen often. He felt secure in the knowledge that their child was indeed growing inside him.

It was a good thing he'd instructed the house-elves to take care of the kids. They were probably playing in their rooms since it was raining outside. He was confident that they'd been fed.

He'd left Harry asleep and smiled softly. He probably should have explained what this entailed, but he didn't like springing things like this on the poor man.

Today he was going to have to get everything ready for the party. The house-elves should enjoy this, he thought as he walked into his study. "Tammy!" he called out as he sat down at his desk and pulled out a sheet of paper.

"Master?" Tammy asked, appearing in front of his desk.

"Bring me a sandwich and some tea, please, and then come back. I'll have a list of things that need to be done for tomorrow."

"Yes, Master," Tammy said, bowing respectfully before vanishing.

Frowning in thought, Draco jotted down a few things he knew that needed to be ready.

Harry was drying himself off when he heard whispering in his room. Frowning, he walked quietly to the bathroom door and saw three heads peeking inside the room, probably looking for him. "I'm telling you, I saw your dad walking downstairs, so Dad should still be here," James told the others as he pushed the door open a little more.

Smiling playfully, Harry pulled back to pick up a pair of pants, dropping the towel into the hamper.

Walking back to the bathroom door, he peeked into the room, wondering how far they'd come in. He was pleased to see that they'd entered all the way and were looking around the room. Moving fast and quietly, he snuck up to the nearest child and growled, picking Rebecca up at the same time.

All three screamed.

Draco heard the screams and took off running. Now what? Who'd managed to get into the Manor without him knowing about it?

When he got upstairs, he paused for a second, listening. Another scream was heard and he realized it was coming from his room. He frowned wondering what had happened to Harry that the kids were screaming and he wasn't going to their aid.

When he got closer to his door, he could hear laughing and giggling coming from inside and just about collapsed in relief. He was going to kill Harry for scaring the shit out of him, he thought angrily.

But when he got to the door, his eyebrows rose as he took in the sight. All three kids had managed to pin Harry down on the floor, though he still managed to reach out and tickle them one at a time, which resulted in the screaming he'd heard.

He leaned against the doorjamb as he watched them and chuckled as he stood there. Harry looked up when he heard the chuckle. "Hey, look who decided to try and sneak up on me."

"And you decided to… what? Scare the crap out of me?" Draco asked with an eyebrow raised in amusement. He shook his head at the mischievous look Harry threw him.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. I didn't expect to be deafened, though. This one," he said as he reached out and tickled Rebecca, who giggled and jumped on his stomach, driving the air out of Harry. Draco laughed at them. "Has a good set of lungs," he finished after a few seconds.

"We got him good, Father," she said proudly, head held high. "It took all three of us, but we managed to pull him down."

"Oh, yeah?" Harry growled playfully and easily came off the floor, holding Rebecca, who looked surprised that he'd been able to move at all. "Ah ha! Got you!" Pulling her closer, he blew against her neck.

She squealed in surprise and laughed.

With a contended sigh, Harry put her down and kissed her cheek. "Now get out of here, you rascals," he mock-growled and made to chase them out of the room. Screaming and laughing, the kids ran out of the room.

Draco winced at the volume and looked at Harry in amusement. "How did they come to dog pile you on the floor?"

"Ah," Harry murmured as he walked over to the closet. "Well, when I grabbed Rebecca, the boys decided it would be an excellent time to attack. It's a good thing I had a good grip on her, otherwise she might have got hurt. As it was, I managed to curl her up against me when I fell, which is also how she came to sit on me like she was."

Draco laughed and shook his head. "I'm sorry I missed it. Is it safe for me to go back downstairs without having another heart attack?" he asked, getting up.

Harry laughed and came back pulling a shirt over his head. "Yeah, especially since I'm coming down too. I'm starving!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "It's not like you worked up an appetite last night," he drawled as he headed out the door and down the hall, followed by Harry's laughter. He needed to talk to Snape about watching the kids while they ran an errand.

"We need to go to the solicitor today," Draco said as they sat in the dining room for lunch. The kids watched them in surprise, probably wondering if they had to go with them. "Snape's agreed to watch the kids. He figures it'll do Miranda some good."

"How is she?" Harry asked, frowning as he realized he hadn't thought about her since they got home yesterday.

"Better than yesterday. It's going to take time. He didn't go into any details about what happened, but she's healing."

"Can we go visit with Miranda, Dad?" Sirius asked, looking at Harry with a hopeful look on his face.

"Yeah," Harry said with a smile. "After lunch." He was surprised when the boys just about inhaled their lunch in their eagerness to go visit. He looked over at Draco in amusement as they waited impatiently for them to finish.

Soon, the kids had been dropped at Snape Manor and they now stood outside a building Draco had been assured held the best solicitor in the Wizarding world. Walking into the building they walked to the counter where a receptionist sat.

"Ah, Mr. Potter!" someone called out from behind him. "Back again?"

Harry looked at the man coming towards them in confusion. "Again?"

"Well, maybe not again, but your wife said you'd sent her on your behalf," the man said with a pleasant smile.

They watched him, hoping he'd clarify what he was talking about, though Draco had some idea. "When did Mrs. Potter come in?"

"Oh, about six or seven months ago, I think," the man said with a frown. "Didn't she give you the file I gave her?"

"Sir, until now I didn't even know my ex-wife had come here. Do you have a copy of the file you gave her?" Harry asked politely.

They saw the man's face color as Harry corrected him. "Yes, of course. If you'll come with me, I'll see what I can do."

He led them to his office and excused himself for a few minutes. The name on the door said Samuel Robbard. "I wonder what information Ginny got."

"I don't know but it would've been right after you kicked her out of the house. Maybe she wanted to see just what she could take you for when it got to the divorce," Draco said with a shrug.

"Here we are," Mr. Robbard said as he entered his office. "I've made you a copy of my findings." He handed the file to Harry before he sat down at his desk.

Opening it up, Harry looked through it, handing some of the pages to Draco. He paused when he reached one in particular. "Draco," he murmured as he held out the paper for him to look at.

Draco's eyebrows rose as he looked at what Harry was holding out.

The manor plans?

Taking it from Harry, he read the papers through. "The Potters had a manor?" he asked Mr. Robbard.

"Oh, yes. Mrs. Potter was very interested in those," he said with a pleased smile.

"And where exactly is it located?" he asked with an eyebrow raised, even though the man had really been talking to Harry.

Mr. Robbard's smile faltered as he looked form one man to the other. "It should say where it's located on the first page," he said, a little perplexed.

Flipping to the beginning again, Draco saw that it indeed. "Apparently, it's on a small island just north of North Berwick," Draco said aloud, frowning. "I assume it's under a Concealment Charm?"

"Yes. You have the manor and a few out buildings for horses if you want them. I was told that there's also a small Quidditch pitch."

Draco handed the papers to Harry again. "Could you do another check to see if Ginny Potter sold any of these properties or businesses?"

"Sure," Mr. Robbard said with a shrug. He obviously didn't see any problem with checking on the paperwork in their hands. "I can have the information for you by this afternoon."

"That soon?" Harry asked in surprise.

"It's just a matter of going over what I found out before. This'll be faster than starting from scratch," Mr. Robbard assured him.

"Alright, then. You can send whatever information you find out to Malfoy Manor." Mr. Robbard stood and shook their hands.

They were just about to leave the building when someone else stopped them. "Mr. Potter?"

"Yes?" he asked, turning to look at the woman coming his way.

"My name's Catherine Swan. I've been commissioned by your ex-wife," she said as she shook his hand.

"Commissioned?" he asked, confused. "You realize that Ginny is dead, right?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter. I was informed not long after it happened. She had been in contact with me since before your divorce."

Harry's eyebrows rose in surprise. "What can I help you with?" he asked hesitantly. Anything to do with Ginny he'd learned to take with some caution.

"Before her demise, Mrs. Potter had spoken to me about changing her will to reflect the divorce, but since she never came back to redo it, the one she had before is still in effect," she said as she led them over to a sitting area beside the door. "Please, sit."

Harry looked over at Draco and saw that even he was surprised to hear that Ginny had wanted to change her will. But then with her being in Azkaban and then on the run for at least a day, he wasn't really surprised that her will hadn't been changed. "So, what did her will say?"

"It appears that everything she possessed now belongs to you, especially since she hadn't updated it since just after your wedding, and means quite a considerable amount of money is now yours," she said as she held out a key to him.

Harry frowned as he took it from her. Where would Ginny have got money? She hadn't been working… He looked at Draco as it dawned on him. She'd either sold some of his properties or siphoned some of his money into a secondary account without him knowing it. Draco shook his head slightly, face an unreadable mask.

He'd have to wait until he got the report from Mr. Robbard before he could see where the money had come from. "Thank you, Miss. Swan. Was there anything else?"

"All I need is your signature on this to say you received what your wife left for you," she said, holding out a piece of paper to him. Harry took the time to read it before he signed it. He didn't wanted this to come back and bite him later if turned out to be a ploy, though he didn't think it would.

"Let's go home," he murmured to Draco as he leaned close to him.

Once at the house, Harry cursed. "It's a good thing we went to the solicitor's today. I might never have know about her activities," he said as he started to pace.

"Relax," Draco murmured as he stopped him, pulling him close. "At least she didn't get away with it. Once things have settled down, we can take the kids and go check out the Potter Manor with the kids. Maybe Snape and Miranda can join us."

Harry relaxed against him and closed his eyes, sighing as he let the tension leave his body. He was right, Harry realized. Ginny hadn't got away with it, so there was no use in getting worked up over it."Should we get the kids or let them visit longer?"

"Let them visit for a while," Draco murmured as he nuzzled Harry's neck, smiling when he gasped in pleasure. Oh yes, he thought to himself. Let them visit with Miranda for a while longer.

Harry was nervously tugging at his dress robes for the third time in a half hour. He hated wearing formal clothes. "If you don't stop that, you're going to ruin your clothes," Draco teased as he watched Harry. People should be arriving any second.

Harry sighed and put his hands in his pockets so he would leave the clothes alone. "We don't have to go to too many of these parties after this, do we?"

"No," Draco murmured as he came up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist. "I don't think the boys like formal clothes any more than you do." He gestured to where the boys were sitting, looking miserable and bored.

Since it was still raining outside, he couldn't distract them with playing out there.

"It's alright, a half hour after everyone gets here, they can go back upstairs and change. They'll have more fun then," he said, resting his chin on Harry's shoulder.

"I can't wait for people to get here," Harry muttered, resisting the urge to tug on his clothes again. True to his word, Mr. Robbard had sent his report an hour before supper. They'd pored over it in Draco's study. He hadn't been surprised to see that three of his properties had been sold, but since he couldn't do anything about it, he'd just shrugged it off. And since the vault Ginny had left had been included in the report, especially since it was now his, she at least hadn't stiffed him too much on the sales.

He figured he'd leave it in the vault and divide it between the boys and Lily, since she had been their mother. He'd sent a note to the man to see it was done and had received a note back telling him it would indeed be done.

He was brought out of his thoughts when the Weasley clan came traipsing into the room. Harry watched the boys' reaction, hoping they wouldn't overreact like the other day. They were going to have to get used to them coming around, especially since Molly was better and back at home.

Sure enough, the boys jumped to their feet and ran over to Harry and Draco, hiding behind them. Sighing sadly, Harry bent down and pulled them closer. "Do you remember the talk we had earlier?" he asked them. He waited for them the nod. He'd already explained why Molly had acted the way she had, though he hadn't told them that Ginny had been the reason behind it.

"Grandma was under a spell that made her act crazy," James said, frowning at the look on the Weasleys.

"But now she's better. You guys have to get used to them again. Don't worry. No one can take you out of here unless we allow it. Can you guys be brave enough to give them another chance?" he asked, watching them carefully.

Sirius was frowning as he thought it through. "I guess," the little boy said and leaned closer. "If I get scared again, can I come find you?" he whispered in Harry's ear.

Harry smiled gently down at him and hugged him close. "Anytime," he whispered back. "Now go say hi to them."

Standing up, he watched as the boys moved closer and wondered how long it would take for them to trust again. Apparently not long. They even introduced Rebecca to them.

It seemed that was the signal for everyone to arrive for the party.

Draco had been right, Harry realized, as the night wore on. There had been some people who tried to crash the party, including a couple of reporters. The kids had gone up a half hour after everyone had arrived.

At least now they felt more comfortable around Arthur and Molly. It would take longer for them to trust enough to want to stay over for the night without Harry or Draco there, but at least it was progress.

He'd been surprised to see Snape and Miranda there, though he could see the sweat on Miranda's forehead and she stuck close to Snape. They hadn't stayed long, just long enough for the rumors to die. Their guests had realized that the _Prophet_ had indeed lied about Harry and Miranda being an item.

When the night ended, Harry was confident that the rumors had been laid to rest… at least these.

Three days later, Snape and Draco were locked in his office while Harry sat outside with Miranda, watching the kids work off some of their energy.

Draco watched Snape as he did his scans, hoping the outcome would be positive. Unfortunately, the older man's face betrayed nothing of what he was learning. "You know, Draco. You really should get a new family mediwizard or witch."

Draco closed his eyes and shrugged dismissively. "I haven't really had the time to look into it."

Snape's eyebrow rose. "It might be a good idea to look into it. Especially now that you're expecting more additions to the family."

His eyes flew open. "It took?" he asked in disbelief before frowning. "Additions?"

Snape smirked at him in amusement. "Yes, it took. You're going to have to get someone else to confirm my findings, but yes, it would appear that there is more than one in there."

He'd never heard of anyone giving birth to multiples when taking the potions, but then no one else was married to Harry Potter either. He laughed and shook his head. "He was right," he murmured more to himself than to Snape.

"Who was right and about what?"

"Harry told me once that he could never do anything half way," he said as he shook his head again. "No one else has ever had multiples in this kind of pregnancy. Leave it to Harry to push the boundaries."

"Yes," Snape drawled sarcastically. "Mr. Potter has always been the exception to the rules."

"We might as well go tell him and put Harry out of his misery," Draco said with a laugh. "And yes, I guess I'm going to have to hire a mediwitch or wizard to live here."

They walked outside where Harry sat sipping tea with Miranda. She looked more relaxed, though she still jumped if there was an unexpected noise, but eventually that, too, would pass.

"So?" Harry asked as Snape sat down, though Draco remained standing, anticipating Harry's reaction. He showed his feelings more, Draco had noticed, usually when it came to the kids. He didn't mind. "What's the verdict?"

"Pregnant," Draco told him and waited for the reactions. "With twins."

Harry nodded before what was said registered. And by the look Miranda was giving him, he could tell she didn't believe him. Time would show her. "Twins?"

"Twins," he confirmed with an amused look in his eyes.

Harry jumped up and grabbed Draco, swinging him around, laughing. Draco was surprised, considering he was taller than Harry, but smiled anyway. The kids came running, laughing at them.

"What's up, Dad?" James asked, crinkling his nose when Harry kissed Draco before putting him down.

"It seems," Draco told them, clearing his throat to regain his composure, ignoring Snape's eye rolling, "that we are going to have some additions to the family."

"Really?" Rebecca asked in surprise, eyes shining in pleasure. More siblings for her to enjoy?

"Yup," Harry answered with a wide smile. The kids screamed and laughed, jumping around and Draco was glad they were outside as he winced at the volume. The kids hugged them both before running off to play again.

"Well, at least they've gone back to playing," Snape murmured in amusement, shaking his head. He still wasn't fond of screaming kids, but he figured he'd need to get used to it, especially since Miranda was also expecting their first.

He wondered if Miranda had told Harry, but since he didn't tell Draco anything, he figured she hadn't. With an impatient sigh, he waited for the two younger men to sit down. "It would seem it's a day for revelations," he murmured, adding milk to his tea and smiled at Miranda, who frowned and didn't look at anyone.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, taking a sip of his tea.

It seemed he had been right. "Miranda is also pregnant."

Harry and Draco looked over at Miranda in surprise. "Why didn't you say anything?" Harry asked, smiling at her. Miranda just shrugged and didn't look at them.

Snape's mouth tightened in anger. "Because she's not sure if its mine, even though I told her it is."

"Can we not talk about this?" she asked softly, hands clenched together tightly in her lap.

Draco looked over at Snape, an eyebrow raised. Snape shook his head, and took a sip of his tea. It seemed he was going to have his work cut out for him trying to convince her he knew what he was talking about. Draco didn't envy him this fight.

Miranda rose suddenly. "I'll be back," she murmured and walked away quickly.

"Crabbe and Goyle?" Draco asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Unfortunately," Snape growled angrily. "She doesn't believe that she was pregnant before we were caught."

Harry frowned. "She'll get better, won't she?" He knew from experience what happened to kids who weren't wanted. He hoped she could be convinced that Snape was right. He never thought he'd want Snape to be a father, but times changed.

Snape sighed and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "I'm working on it. Time will tell."

**Chapter 31 - Epilogue**

Draco lay in bed in St. Mungo's, exhausted but happy as he held the baby boy they'd named Scorpius.

Beside him stood Michael, their family mediwizard. He'd actually been surprised at how easy it had been to secure him, though he figured it was more because of Harry than anything else. At first Michael had been cold towards Draco but had soon become civil. He'd been given his own set of rooms to make into an apartment, where he spent most of his time with his young wife.

Now he was just part of the family, it seemed. He still worked at St. Mungo's two days of the week, but for the most part, he stayed at the Manor.

Life was definitely good.

Already he could tell this one was going to look like him, with his blond hair. It was when he opened his eyes that you could tell he was also Harry's child. The most amazing green eyes would stare up at him from the little boy, though at the moment his eyes were closed.

He smiled and looked over at Harry, who was holding their second little surprise, Erin, a baby girl with black hair and silver eyes. He'd never thought that combination would look as attractive as it did. And she was theirs.

"Do you want everyone brought in? Or should I bring the babies out and let you rest for a little?" Harry asked softly.

Draco shrugged and smiled at him. "Bring them in. They won't stay long."

Nodding, Harry got up, laughing when Erin opened her eyes and glared at him for moving before she sighed and went back to sleep.

It didn't take long for the small room to feel crowded. The three kids sat on the bed with Draco, looking at Scorpius while Molly held on to Lily who was cooing at Erin. They laughed at the look on the baby's face.

It was almost like she was asking who the hell this person was.

Draco was a little overwhelmed, but after almost a year of getting used to the Weasley hoard, he was beginning to enjoy having an extended family.

He noticed Snape and Miranda there as well, though they hung back from all the noise. He could see Snape's hand rubbing her back as she leaned against him. He figured she should still have a couple of months left to her pregnancy and he knew from experience that she was probably more than ready for it to happen.

Maybe having twins was better than only one. He only had to enjoy the discomforts for six and an half months.

Surprisingly enough, Harry's cousin and his wife stood against the wall not far from Snape, also hanging back with their two kids. Knowing how badly he'd been treated when growing up with Dudley, Draco had frowned when Harry had forgiven him so readily, but understood his need to have his family accept him.

It had surprisingly gone smother than he'd thought. Everyone was getting along beautifully.

Draco looked down at Scorpius and smiled gently at the little boy.

Yes, life was _definitely_ good.

The End

A/N: Yes, I know it looks like I forgot to add a part about the Potter Manor, but I didn't. I'm going to write a story about Snape and Miranda… for those who actually liked her.

The title of the story will be "Hermione's Revenge".

It'll have the manor and how Dudley and Harry reconcile in there as well as some surprises. It'll be posted on hpfandom, for those who are interested.


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